The Ministry of National Defence on August 20 held a ceremony in Ha Noi to present the President’s decisions assigning three military officers to serve in United Nations peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and the Abyei area.
The ceremony was chaired by Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien, member of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee and Deputy Minister of National Defence.
The three officers include Lieutenant Colonel Trinh Van Thuc, a lecturer at the Military Department of the Military Medical Academy, who will serve as a military observer with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS); and Major Manh Ngoc Diep, a financial assistant at the Logistics and Technical Division of Signal Brigade 21, Border Guard Force (BGF) Command, who will act as a civil-military coordination staff officer at the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). Senior Lieutenant Pham Hung, an assistant at the Department of Field Affairs under the Viet Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, will serve as an operations staff officer at UNISFA.
According to Colonel Mac Duc Trong, Deputy Director of the Viet Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the three officers were carefully selected and met all required criteria. Through their professional work, training, and preparation, they have demonstrated strong political mettle, ethics, discipline, a clear understanding of their responsibilities, and determination to successfully fulfil their assignments.
All have appropriate professional qualifications and experience for their UN-assigned positions. They have completed training on UN peacekeeping in accordance with the requirements of the Viet Nam People's Army and the United Nations, and been equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to work in multinational and multicultural environments and ensure security and safety in mission areas. They also meet the language requirements for their respective positions.
Senior Lieutenant General Hien said that after more than 12 years of Viet Nam's participation in UN peacekeeping operations, generations of Vietnamese military personnel have overcome difficulties and successfully fulfilled their missions, enhancing the reputation of Viet Nam, the Viet Nam People's Army, and the country's peacekeeping force.
He asked the three officers to recognise that these achievements provide both a foundation and a responsibility for them to uphold the reputation built by their predecessors. Their performance will directly contribute to the image and prestige of the Vietnamese military and country in the international arena, he stressed.
He urged them to strictly observe military discipline, UN regulations and the laws of host countries, while maintaining their political mettle, military dignity and professional conduct. As representatives of Viet Nam and its military in international environments, they should respect cultural differences, learn from international colleagues, and make full use of their professional expertise, language skills, and ability to adapt and coordinate in multinational and multicultural settings.
The officers were also asked to quickly familiarise themselves with the duties in their mission areas and work closely with Vietnamese personnel, mission commanders, and relevant units to fulfil their tasks from the beginning.
Hien also requested the Viet Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations to strengthen management and command of personnel serving overseas, draw lessons to improve selection and training, and develop qualified personnel to apply for professional, command, management, and advisory positions at UN headquarters and its peacekeeping missions.
