UN Deputy Secretary-General Atul Khare speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)
The event, under the chair of Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Head of the Permanent Mission of Viet Nam to the UN, was attended by UN Deputy Secretary-General Atul Khare, UN Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee, and nearly 200 guests, including ambassadors, mission heads, and military advisors from UN member states.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Giang highlighted that over the past eight decades, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and with the support of the Vietnamese people, and the assistance of international friends, the VPA has grown significantly. It has achieved remarkable victories, including the 1954 Dien Bien Phu victory and the 1975 Ho Chi Minh Campaign, which secured national independence and unity. The VPA has also made practical contributions to regional peace, stability, and humanitarian efforts.
Vietnamese sapper team No. 2 (Photo: VNA)
The diplomat reaffirmed Viet Nam’s “four no’s” defence policy, along with a foreign policy of independence and active international integration. Viet Nam has engaged in numerous bilateral and multilateral defence cooperation mechanisms, reinforcing strategic trust and contributing to global peace, security and development. Over the past decade, Viet Nam has deployed more than 800 personnel, including a high percentage of women, to UN peacekeeping missions, leaving a positive impression on the international community and earning high regard from the UN and global partners.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Atul Khare hailed the VPA for its historic achievements and its vital role in Viet Nam’s development.
He emphasised the importance of peacekeeping as a pillar in the Viet Nam-UN partnership and praised Viet Nam’s outstanding contributions, particularly through its Level-2 Field Hospitals and engineering teams in missions in Africa.
On this occasion, he expressed gratitude to Viet Nam’s soldiers who sacrificed their lives for national liberation as well as international peace and security, including Lieutenant Colonel Do Anh, who fell in the line of duty while serving in the Central African Republic peacekeeping mission./.
Source: VNA