Lieutenant General Phùng Sĩ Tấn, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Vietnamese People's Army speaks at the opening ceremony in Hà Nội on Tuesday. The 2022 plenary meeting and workshop of the Association of Asia-Pacific Peacekeeping Centers (AAPTC) take place in Việt Nam from June 6 to 10. VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đức

HÀ NỘI — The annual plenary meeting and workshop of the Association of Asia-Pacific Peacekeeping Centers (AAPTC) commenced in Hà Nội on Tuesday.

It takes place during June 6-10 with the theme "Leading innovation: Indo-Pacific action in support of the UN's Action for Peace Initiative to improve the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations".

Việt Nam chairs this year's event, with preparations done by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and other agencies under the Ministry of Defence.

The meeting and workshop aim to create a forum to connect member countries of the association after being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as sharing experiences and reorganising resources to support the United Nations' Action Program for Peace (A4P) and Action for Peacekeeping Open (A4P+).

It’s also an opportunity for Việt Nam to emphasise its role and responsibility as the current President and host of the association, enhance its position, and make practical contributions to the United Nations peacekeeping cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Lieutenant General Phùng Sĩ Tấn, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Vietnamese People's Army, who is also deputy head of the Steering Committee of the Ministry of Defence for participation in UN peacekeeping operations, stressed the significance of hosting the events to the country.

He said: “This is the first time Việt Nam assumes the role of President of the Association of Asia-Pacific Peacekeeping Centers, and the host country for the association’s plenary meeting.

“It’s important to say that Việt Nam only officially joined the association seven years ago, and has sent forces to participate in UN peacekeeping activities for eight years.

“The efforts of the host and the contributions of the member countries to organise these events are sound proof of their quick and effective adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic, and at the same time, they have been able to keep up with their development goals.”

The Vietnamese Ministry of Defence highly appreciates the importance and significance of the conference, Tấn added.

“This is a valuable opportunity for Việt Nam and the association's member countries to exchange expertise, share experiences, initiatives, and measures to overcome difficulties, especially challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “From that, the countries can also collaborate to improve the quality of training and preparing forces for UN peacekeeping operations.”

Major General Abu Saleh Mohammad Ridwanur Rahman, chairman of the AAPTC Secretariat said that the meeting and workshop were launched at the right time to promote cooperation between member countries, adhering to the motto "Come together for world peace".

He called on the member countries to explore new opportunities and apply innovative approaches together to determine short-, medium- and long-term goals, and identify strategic priorities for training forces. VNS