The Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre under the Ministry of Defence (MOD)began the construction of its headquarters in Thach That district, Hanoion June 4.

Present at the groundbreaking ceremonywere Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh,who is also head of the MOD’s Steering Committee for Participation inUN Peacekeeping Missions, and Senior Lieutenant General Mai Quang Phan,member of the Central Party Committee and Deputy Director of the VietnamPeople’s Army’s General Department of Politics (GDP).

The first phase of the project will be constructed at a total cost ofmore than 215 billion VND (9.85 million USD) and is expected to beoperational by 2017. It includes an administrative building, a meetinghall, a lecture hall, a training centre for army medical corps, andresidential halls for staff, lecturers and military students.

It will serve as a centre not only for counselling and trainingpersonnel and forces for Vietnam to join UN peacekeeping missions butalso for training corps for humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

Speaking at the ceremony, Lieutenant General Le Chiem, Deputy Chiefof the General Staff of the Vietnam’s People’s Army, said the VietnamPeacekeeping Centre was established in May last year, representingVietnam as an active member of international communities in the globaleffort towards peace, cooperation, stability and development.

The centre should work closely with involved bodies and the Hanoi CityPeople’s Committee to prepare necessary paperwork and capital for theproject, he said, stressing that construction quality and safety need tobe guaranteed.-VNA