Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn meets with Vietnamese peacekeepers in HCM City on September 12. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM City _ Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn met Vietnamese peacekeepers and staff at Military Hospital 175 in HCM City on September 12, as part of her state visit to Việt Nam.

She was joined by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyễn Trường Thắng and Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyễn Mạnh Cường.

Speaking to Vietnamese peacekeepers bound for the United Nations mission in South Sudan, Mostyn highlighted the robust 14-year partnership between Australia and Việt Nam in peacekeeping, noting that ties with Military Hospital 175, which began in 2014, have since deepened, with the 2024 elevation of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership setting the stage for broader defence cooperation.

Vietnamese peacekeepers’ contributions in South Sudan and other UN missions hold special significance, she said, underscoring their role in advancing global peace and security. Their success also reflects the high standards of the Vietnam People’s Army in international missions.

Australia, she said, is proud to continue supporting those efforts.

According to her, Australia delivered supplies to the Việt Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations to aid training and mission readiness last month. Within the next 10 days, Australia will further assist by offering airlift support to transport Việt Nam’s Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 7 to the UN mission in South Sudan.

Maj. Gen. Trần Quốc Việt, Director of Military Hospital 175, expressed gratitude for Australia’s practical support, particularly in medical cooperation, equipment supply, and logistics for deploying Level-2 field hospitals to South Sudan.

The hospital pledges to continue active cooperation with Australia in professional and English language training, military medicine, and peacekeeping, he said, adding that Việt Nam–Australia defence and military medicine collaboration will further grow and contribute to regional peace, stability, and public health.

Later, the Australian leader, her spouse, and Deputy Minister Thắng planted commemorative trees at the hospital.

On the same day, Mostyn held talks with Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Trần Lưu Quang, and met with students at RMIT Vietnam’s Saigon South campus. _ VNS