'Journey for Peace' of the Green Berets

On February 5, the Ministry of National Defense organized an online connection program with Vietnamese forces participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations on the occasion of the 2024 Lunar New Year with the theme "Journey for Peace".

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense and delegates participated in the exchange and wished a Happy New Year to Vietnamese peacekeeping officers at the connecting points. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Head of the Inter-sectoral Working Group, Head of the Ministry of National Defense's Steering Committee on participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations chaired the program. Attending were leaders and representatives of the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security ; soldiers of the Vietnamese UN peacekeeping force on duty in the field and international guests; relatives of some officers and staff of the force on duty at the United Nations peacekeeping missions. The program set up 6 connecting points in Hanoi (Army Radio and Television Center), Ho Chi Minh City (Military Hospital 175), UNISFA Mission in Abyei region, UNMISS Mission in South Sudan, MINUSCA Mission in the Central African Republic and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense, interacted and wished a Happy New Year to Vietnamese peacekeeping officers at various locations. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA

The program's content focused on the leadership and direction of leaders at all levels; grasping the health situation, aspirations, family circumstances; preparations for the traditional New Year of the Army and Police forces performing the UN peacekeeping mission at the missions, thereby encouraging and enhancing responsibility, pride, determination, solidarity, responsibility, and excellent completion of all assigned tasks. Within the framework of the program, there were outstanding activities such as exchanges with the bridge point in Abyei (Engineering Team No. 2) and the Central African Working Group, visiting and sharing stories about preparations for the New Year away from home; exchanges with Level 2 Field Hospital No. 5 and police officers on peacekeeping duty in South Sudan; exchanges with the New York bridge point and Vietnamese officers on duty at the UN headquarters who are on leave in Vietnam; exchanges with relatives of the blue beret soldiers; Leaders of the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security and the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department visited and exchanged with the connecting points.

Officers and soldiers at the bridge point at the South Sudan Mission participate in the program. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA

From South Sudan, Dr. Nguyen Ha Ngoc, Director of Level 2 Field Hospital No. 5, said: This year, 100% of the hospital's "blue beret" officers and soldiers will celebrate Tet at their units. Many officers will celebrate their first Tet away from home and the Fatherland, so the hospital has organized for them to celebrate the warmest and most meaningful Tet with apricot and peach blossoms, red parallel sentences, and especially bringing the flavor of Tet from their homeland to South Sudan. As a guest at the Abyei bridge, Mr. Nyinkwany Aguer Bol, Minister of Education of the Abyei region, shared that the Vietnamese peacekeeping force in the Abyei region has gone beyond its mission, not only performing peacekeeping duties but also making very specific contributions to the work of helping and supporting local people in Abyei.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense, presented gifts to the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department at the program. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA

“Vietnamese soldiers have actively supported us in building classrooms, libraries and supporting local hospitals in medical missions. We appreciate the work you have done for Abyei and would like to thank the Vietnamese Engineering Team for helping us in the past time,” said Mr. Nyinkwany Aguer Bol. Inquiring about the implementation of tasks and preparations for the New Year of the Vietnamese blue berets at the missions, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense, shared: “I was really moved when I saw the images and heard the stories of the comrades on duty at the missions. We are very proud of the blue berets of the Vietnam People's Army and the Vietnam People's Public Security”.

Art performance at the program. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien sent his best wishes to the Vietnamese "blue beret" soldiers to welcome a spring far from the Fatherland "but always close, warm and with the flavor of the homeland"; at the same time, he advised the officers and soldiers to celebrate Tet but to fulfill their tasks well, especially ensuring the safety of the forces stationed at the missions in the face of conflicts and instability still taking place in Africa. Over the past 10 years, Vietnam has sent nearly 800 officers and soldiers to participate in peacekeeping forces at the missions and headquarters of the United Nations, thereby contributing to concretizing the foreign policy of the Party and State, multilateralizing, diversifying, and being a responsible member of the international community, in which the Army and Police forces are the pioneers and leaders.

Hien Hanh (Vietnam News Agency)

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