Doctors of Level-2 Field Hospital No. 1 depart for the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan on October 15, 2018. (Photo: VNA)

The event aimed to help the Vietnamese side improve their knowledge about peacekeeping and crisis management policies, capacity in joining UN peacekeeping operations, and understanding of the EU’s CSDP. It also reflected the country’s goodwill in enhancing defence ties with the EU.

Affirming the role of peacekeeping operations, Maj. Gen. Vu Cuong Quyet, Director of the Institute for Defence Strategy under the Ministry of National Defence, said this is the largest multilateral security cooperation mechanism in the world at present. Led by the UN, it helps make peace in the countries where UN peacekeeping missions are present and create an environment for member states to enhance multilateral and bilateral cooperation, thereby strengthening mutual trust to boost substantive and effective cooperation.

Despite certain initial outcomes in its participation in UN peacekeeping operations, Vietnam has yet to officially take part in the EU’s crisis management activities, and it has the need to study and learn more about the CSDP, he noted, adding that the country has noticed the effective assistance from the EU’s CSDP.

Vietnam will send personnel to directly participate in the EU’s crisis management operations in the time ahead, firstly at the EU Training Mission in the Central African Republic, Quyet added.

At the meeting, speakers from the EU helped the Vietnamese side gain an insight into crisis management operations and field experiences in different countries. Vietnam also shared its experiences and long-term vision on UN peacekeeping operations.