The Ministry of National Defense (MND) held a meeting of the Vietnam inter-sectoral working group for Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations on September 21 in Hanoi, under the chair of Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Defense Minister, Head of the group and Head of the MND’s Steering Committee on Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations.

Comments at the meeting confirmed that after nearly five years of joining UN peacekeeping operations, Vietnam has gradually deployed forces in line with the master plan on Vietnam’s participation in the UN peacekeeping operations ratified by the Politburo in 2012.

Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh speaks at the meeting.

To continue to realize the master plan with a focus on sending units to UN peacekeeping missions, it is necessary to consolidate the group by transferring the management role of the group from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the MND.

The transfer is in line with the routine and the reality in deploying forces for UN peacekeeping activities and aims to ensure the implementation of giving recommendations on, managing and directing UN peacekeeping activities in a comprehensive manner, especially in the context that Vietnam has been promoting its participation in UN peacekeeping operations from inpidual to collective levels.

The group has a head, four deputy heads and members. General Vinh is the head of the group.

Addressing the meeting, General Vinh pointed out several key tasks in the time to come. Accordingly, relevant ministries and departments with members in the inter-sectoral working group should work together to fulfill missions assigned by the group while further calling for active assistance for Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations from the international community.

The Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations must coordinate closely with other relevant ministries and departments, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to build and implement the plan of sending off forces for UN peacekeeping activities in the upcoming time and create best conditions for domestic and international mass media agencies to cover this important event./.

( VNF/PANO )