Officers and staff of Engineering Unit No. 4 pay tribute at Hồ Chí Minh President Mausoleum before setting off to undertake the United Nations peacekeeping mission at the UNISFA Mission (Abyei area). VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Officers and staff of Engineering Unit No. 4 are ready to embark on their next United Nations peacekeeping mission, said Major General Phạm Mạnh Thắng, director of the Việt Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations. 

Ahead of deployment to the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), the unit took part in a tribute ceremony yesterday at the Bắc Sơn Martyrs’ Memorial and reported their achievements to President Hồ Chí Minh at his Mausoleum.

Thắng, who also heads the Standing Agency of the Inter-sectoral Working Group and the Ministry of National Defence’s Steering Committee on Việt Nam’s participation in UN peacekeeping, underlined the department’s advisory role to the Party, State, Government, Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence.

He highlighted the department’s close coordination with relevant agencies in recruitment, training and deployment, as well as its responsibility for managing, commanding and directing all Việt Nam People’s Army forces on UN missions.

“The Việt Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations has consistently ensured that every soldier fulfils their assigned tasks successfully and excellently,” Thắng said.

The officers of Engineering Unit No. 4 were selected from military agencies and units, all possessing firm political qualities.

Before deploying to the UNISFA mission, all officers and soldiers of Engineering Unit No. 4 underwent training in professional competence and foreign language skills to meet the UN’s requirements.

Major General Phạm Mạnh Thắng affirmed that, building on achieved results, preparations for Engineering Unit No. 4 have now been basically completed.

Officers and staff are confident and ready to embark on their noble mission of UN peacekeeping.

According to the plan, Engineering Unit No. 4, with 169 officers and staff members, is scheduled to depart for the UNISFA mission on September 26.

Participation in UN peacekeeping operations is a significant policy of the Party and State, concretising Việt Nam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development and diversification and multilateralisation of international relations. 

This is an important component of defence diplomacy, combining political–diplomatic efforts with military capabilities, thereby helping enhance the country’s prestige and spreading the noble image and qualities of 'Uncle Hồ’s Soldiers' among international friends.

Since its establishment more than 11 years ago, Việt Nam’s peacekeeping force has continuously grown and matured, engaging increasingly deeply in various fields and assuming many important posts at the UN Headquarters and peacekeeping missions.

To date, the Ministry of National Defence has deployed around 1,100 officers and professional soldiers to UN peacekeeping operations, both individually and in units, including six level-2 field hospitals and three engineering units, along with more than 140 officers on individual assignments.

The Vietnamese engineering units deployed to UNISFA have quickly stabilised, gained a good grasp of local conditions and excellently completed their tasks during their tenures.

They have been highly praised by mission leaders, colleagues and international friends for their competence, spirit and working attitude.

In civil–military activities, Vietnamese engineering units have also actively assisted local people by building bridges, constructing roads, and repairing many other facilities, earning gratitude and recognition from local authorities and residents for their contributions to improving the living conditions of the host community. — VNS