Vietnam enhances cooperation with UK, Thailand in UN peacekeeping

ABO/NDO – Vietnam wants to exchange experience with Thailand in organising training courses, and promote delegation exchanges on UN peacekeeping operations, a senior Vietnamese officer said on September 10.

Major General Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, receives Major General Jensit Konsil, Director of Thailand’s Peace Operations Centre. (Photo: qdnd.vn)

At a reception in Hanoi for a delegation of Thailand’s Peace Operations Centre (POC), Major General Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, lauded Thailand’s support for Vietnam in peacekeeping activities.

The visit by the Thai delegation, led by POC Director, Major General Jensit Konsil, aims to step up bilateral collaboration in UN peacekeeping, especially after Vietnam has assumed the posts of Chair of the Association of Asia-Pacific Peace Operations Training Centres and the host of the eighth Annual General Meeting of ASEAN Peacekeeping Centres Network in 2020. Next year, Vietnam will also co-chair the Experts’ Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations within the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM+) for 2020-2023.

During the visit, the two sides considered sealing an agreement on cooperation in delegation exchange and experience sharing regarding peacekeeping activities.

They agreed to make UN peacekeeping collaboration a regular part of exchanges, consultations and high-level dialogues between Vietnam and Thailand.

Thailand will continue to invite Vietnamese officers to training courses and exercises held by the country, and take into consideration the dispatch of experienced experts to Vietnam to share experience in preparing and deploying sappers to UN peacekeeping missions, and holding training courses.

Earlier, the Thai delegation visited the Vietnam Military Medical University and the second level-2 field hospital which will be sent to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.

The same day, Vietnam’s UN peacekeeping sappers engaged in an exchange with their UK colleagues, during which they discussed preparations of equipment of forces, the deployment of sappers and logistics.

(Source: NDO)