BEIRUT, May 9 -- The new commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz spoke highly of the work done by Chinese peacekeepers when having a video meeting with Chinese ambassador to Lebanon Qian Minjian on May 5. He commended the professionalism and dedication of Chinese peacekeepers and expressed appreciation for the consistent contributions made by China to the world's peacekeeping cause.
During the meeting, Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz praised the 20th Chinese peacekeeping force to Lebanon for their outstanding performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that they had actively supported local people and helped minimize the impact of the pandemic on their lives, which would have been impossible without the Chinese peacekeepers' dedication and persistence.
It is learned that Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz officially took over as UNIFIL's Head of Mission and Force Commander on February 28 and visited the camp of Chinese peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on March 28. Ambassador Qian congratulated Lázaro on his new role, introduced China's Global Security Initiative and its stance on and contributions to the UN peacekeeping missions, and also stressed China's commitment to supporting UNIFIL in maintaining security in southern Lebanon and peace and stability in the region.
China has totally dispatched more than 7,000 peacekeepers to Lebanon since 2006. In the past 16 years, Chinese peacekeepers have accomplished all orders and tasks commanded by UNIFIL and made great contributions to the peace and stability in southern Lebanon, winning affirmation and extensive commendation from the local and international community at large. In particular, Chinese peacekeeping forces have detected and cleared more than 15,000 landmines and explosives of other types so far.
