Vietnam, France step up peacekeeping cooperation
A delegation of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations (VDPO) under the Ministry of National Defence, headed by its director Colonel Pham Manh Thang, has completed a trip to Paris to work with different sections of the French army.
The delegation visited the combat support center DAO under Regiment RCA No. 1 stationed in Canjuers, an outlying and harsh climate area. The unit’s mission is to conduct final training steps for forces to be deployed to operational areas, including the UN peacekeeping missions.
The delegation also had a working session with Colonel Francois Duhomez, the head of the French General Staff’s Asia-Pacific department.
At the session, the Vietnamese side stated that peacekeeping cooperation between Vietnam and European countries, especially France, has seen positive developments.
The VDPO expressed its hope for more diverse and effective joint work with France in the field, focusing on the exchange of delegations as well as of lecturers, experts, and trainees participating in peacekeeping training courses organised by both sides. The delegation proposed that France consider the possibility of supporting the transport of Vietnamese forces deployed to UN peacekeeping missions.
Agreeing with these proposals, the French side appreciated notable achievements of the Vietnamese peacekeeping forces and suggested both sides consider researching and incorporating into their future cooperation issues currently concerning the UN. These issues include climate change response and addressing misinformation about peacekeeping activities in the deployment area.
