Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Văn Giang (left) had talks with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix in New York on September 23. — VNA/VNS Photo

NEW YORK — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Văn Giang had a meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday (local time)with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix who affirmed the UN's support to Việt Nam's stronger engagement in peacekeeping operations.

Lacroix spoke highly of Việt Nam's policy of supporting UN peacekeeping operations and its active, effective participation in this activity in recent years.

He welcomed Việt Nam's commitments to implementing relevant UN goals and targets, particularly those concerning increasing the proportion of female military personnel taking part in peacekeeping operations.

Giang highly valued the UN’s support for Việt Nam over the past 49 years since the country became a UN member, stressing the UN’s particularly important and indispensable role in developing the international legal system, maintaining peace, preventing conflicts and responding to global challenges.

He affirmed that Việt Nam consistently pursues a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, being a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community. As an active and responsible UN member, Việt Nam has always adhered to the UN Charter, resolutions and programmes of action, he said.

In the defence and security sphere, Việt Nam has actively participated in UN joint efforts to address non-traditional security challenges, contributing to the maintenance of regional and international peace and security, particularly through UN peacekeeping operations, disarmament and the fight against transnational crime.

Giang expressed his hope that the UN will continue to support Việt Nam in expanding its participation in peacekeeping operations in terms of both forms and scale of deployment.

Agreeing with the Vietnamese official's proposal, Lacroix affirmed that the UN stands ready to assist Việt Nam in building capacity and making greater contributions to peacekeeping operations. — VNA/VNS