A ceremony is held on Tuesday to hand over supplies and equipment for peacekeeping operations from the Australian Department of Defence to the Việt Nam peacekeeping forces, which include specialised vehicles, bulldozers, medical equipment, radio devices and personal care items for officers and soldiers. — VNA/VNS Photos Trọng Đức

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of National Defence on Tuesday received a package of materials and equipment from the Australian Department of Defence to support the ministry's Việt Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

The handover ceremony in Hà Nội was co-chaired by Senior Lieutenant General Hoàng Xuân Chiến, Deputy Minister of National Defence and head of the ministry’s Steering Committee on UN peacekeeping missions participation, and Hugh Jeffrey, Deputy Secretary of Strategy, Policy, and Industry at the Australian Department of Defence.

Valued at US$240,000, the aid package includes two Toyota Hilux 4x4 vehicles, a Changlin GD555 wheel bulldozer, 10 shoulder gear bags, and personal care kits – 100 for women and 300 for men.

The equipment is intended to enhance training effectiveness and capacity building for Việt Nam’s peacekeeping forces, as well as to support the organisation of training courses, exercises, seminars and exchanges with international experts.

Sen. Lieut. Gen. Chiến praised the positive and effective defence cooperation between Việt Nam and Australia over the past time, particularly in UN peacekeeping.

Joint activities have included foreign language courses, aeromedical evacuation and rules-of-engagement training, and exchange of experience on mental health care, force protection, and promotion of women’s participation in peacekeeping.

Deputy defence minister Hoàng Xuân Chiến and Australian Deputy Secretary of Strategy, Policy, and Industry Hugh Jeffrey meet Vietnamese peacekeeping officers at the ceremony.

Since 2018, Australia’s Royal Air Force C-17 aircraft have annually transported personnel and equipment of Việt Nam’s Level-2 Field Hospital to UN missions.

Chiến emphasised that the latest assistance package reflects Australia’s goodwill and strong defence ties with Việt Nam, further supporting the country’s peacekeeping training.

Australia remains one of Việt Nam’s important partners in this field and is currently the only nation to have signed a government-level peacekeeping partnership agreement with Việt Nam, in March 2024.

He instructed the Việt Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations to ensure proper management, maintenance, and effective utilisation of the donated equipment.

The Vietnamese and Australian officials review the equipment and supplies during the handover.

Looking ahead, Việt Nam aims to expand its UN peacekeeping participation in terms of geographical scope, scale, formats, and areas of expertise, especially those in which the Việt Nam People’s Army boasts strengths, he said, expressing hope for continued support from the United Nations, international partners, and friends, including Australia.

Hugh Jeffrey affirmed the importance of UN peacekeeping operations as a unique mechanism that has played a vital role in ensuring security, ending conflicts, and building sustainable peace in dozens of countries.

He also highly valued Việt Nam's increasingly active role in peacekeeping missions and expressed confidence in the growing, practical, and deeper cooperation between the two countries. — VNA/VNS