Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam's participation in UN peacekeeping operations holds great internationalhumanitarian significance and helps promote its image as a responsible member ofthe international community.

Four years after its first deploymentof forces to UN peacekeeping operations in 2014, Vietnam has dispatched 27batches of officers, including a female, to South Sudan and the Central AfricanRepublic to work as liaison officers, military observers and staff officers.

Currently, eightVietnamese officers are part of UN missions.

The VietnameseMinistry of National Defence has set up two units ready for UN peacekeepingoperations - an engineer corp and a level-2 field hospital.

Under the approvalof the UN,the level-2 field hospital setoff for South Sudan on October 1.

At the same time,Vietnam is making necessary preparations for the second level-2 field hospitaland the engineer corp, making them ready for UN peacekeeping missions.

In June 2018, theUN recognised the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations as one of fourinternational training centres in the region and agreed to carry out trainingunder the three-party partnership (comprising Vietnam, the UN and a partner country).

The selection ofVietnam as a training venue for UN peacekeeping forces in Southeast Asiareflects the UN's appreciation of Vietnam's commitment and results the countryhas recorded in UN peacekeeping participation.

At the meeting ofEU Chiefs of Defence in August 2018, the EU invited Vietnam to dispatchofficers to be mobile trainers at a some UN peacekeeping training centres ofthe EU in Central Africa, Somalia, Mali and some European countries.

Deputy Defence MinisterSen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, head of the steering committee of Vietnam'sUN peacekeeping operations, said Vietnam has enjoyed favourable conditions inexternal activities and won support of the UN and partner countries whileperforming these tasks.

The Vietnamesearmy’s biggest strength lies with is readiness and flexibility to help othercountries with peace consolidation and national reconstruction, Vinh said,stressing that over the past five years, 27 Vietnamese officers have fulfilled theirtasks in the UN missions, with none of them violating UN regulations or disciplines.

Vietnam hascontributed to UN peacekeeping operations but just in terms of observation andstaff, with no specific actions.

Therefore, Vinhsaid, Vietnam's dispatch of a level-2 field hospital to South Sudan is aspecific action and a chance to test the capacity of Vietnamese officers, inmilitary, international relations and medical knowledge.

It also demonstratesVietnam's contribution to world peace, the Deputy Minister noted.

To make morecontributions to UN peacekeeping, the second level-2 field hospital will be established and based in Military Hospital 103. After a year of training, thehospital will replace the first one. Besides, Vietnam will propose the dispatchof the engineer corp in late 2019 or early 2020, Vinh said.-VNA