Deputy Defence Minister holds virtual meeting with UN Under-Secretary General

Lt Gen Nguyễn Chí Vịnh, Deputy Minister of National Defence, asked the United Nations on Friday to offer support to peacekeepers whose missions were extended due to COVID-19, including those from Việt Nam, during a virtual meeting with Atul Khare, UN Under-Secretary-General for Field Support

Lt Gen Nguyễn Chí Vịnh, Deputy Minister of National Defence, has a virtual meeting with Atul Khare, UN Under-Secretary-General for Field Support. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Lt Gen Nguyễn Chí Vịnh, Deputy Minister of National Defence, asked the United Nations on Friday to offer support to peacekeepers whose missions were extended due to COVID-19, including those from Việt Nam, during a virtual meeting with Atul Khare, UN Under-Secretary-General for Field Support.

Vịnh highlighted Vietnamese peacekeepers’ COVID-19 relief efforts in Africa, saying they had also helped local children study and taught local people about good hygiene to prevent transmission of the disease.

The force had also produced and given away face masks to international colleagues and local citizens to fight the pandemic, he added.

The official said Việt Nam was preparing for the third Level-2 field hospital to replace the one in South Sudan.

Khare, for his part, congratulated Việt Nam on its success in containing the virus, saying he also appreciated the hospital’s contributions to the local coronavirus response.

He said he expected Việt Nam would ramp up such activities to further support the UN Mission in South Sudan.

The UN official suggested the two sides take steps to enhance the preparedness of Vietnamese military engineers, who received intensive training for the peacekeeping mission in the African country.

The two officials later discussed the organisation of a conference on women and UN peacekeeping missions and a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+) initiated by Việt Nam. — VNS