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

He welcomed Vietnam’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 Vietnam 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 Vietnam 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, Vietnam has always adhered to the UN Charter, resolutions and programmes of action, he said.

In the defence and security sphere, Vietnam 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 Vietnam 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 Vietnam in building capacity and making greater contributions to peacekeeping operations./.