(VOVWORLD) - The Ministry of Defense held a conference on Thursday to discuss Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions. The Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations has collaborated with the Military Medical Academy to prepare staff for Vietnam’s second level-2 field hospital.
 Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh addresses the conference. |
Deputy Defense Minister, Nguyen Chi Vinh, who is head of the inter-sectoral team on Vietnam’s peacekeeping missions, said they have completed basic training courses on the military, foreign languages, logistics, and medicine with assistance from experts from the US, Britain, and Australia.
Mr. Vinh said: “The 1st level-2 hospital has completed its missions and the 2nd level-2 hospital will make use of the past results and experience in the dispatch of its duty. We’ll maintain the number of female staff with better profession. We’re planning to build a plastic-less hospital, which is an important criterion set by the UN.”
Mr. Vinh said Kamal Malhotra, UN Resident Coordinator, has asked the Vietnamese Ministry of Defence to send more forces to UN peacekeeping missions such as police and civil units. Mr. Vinh said: “We successfully fulfilled the 1st phase and gained their trust. The UN asked us to expand our involvement in UN peacekeeping missions, for example sending sappers and ground troops to protect bases, as well as police officers to work as consultants. The UN has invited some Vietnamese officers to be commanders at UN missions and headquarters.”
The Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations has worked with UNDP in Vietnam, Australia, Japan, France, and other countries to prepare an international conference on “Women and UN peacekeeping missions” later this year.