BEIRUT, July 4 -- On July 1, local time, all 410 peacekeepers of the 20th Chinese peacekeeping force to Lebanon were awarded the UN peace medals by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the peace and stability of the southern Lebanon region during the mission period.
UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Aroldo Lázaro, Qian Minjian, Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon, representatives of the Lebanese Government and Armed Forces, as well as representatives of UNIFIL forces from other countries attended the medal-awarding ceremony in the barracks of the Chinese peacekeeping force located in southern Lebanon.
Major General Lázaro pinned the UN peace medals on the uniform of representatives of the Chinese peacekeepers. "You are outstanding military persons and have well represented China and the Chinese military!" He said that the Chinese peacekeepers have successfully completed tasks of mine and explosive clearance, engineering construction and medical support, playing a key role in maintaining peace and stability in southern Lebanon and the tranquility of local people's life.
The 20th Chinese peacekeeping force to Lebanon consists of a multi-functional engineering contingent, a construction engineering contingent and a medical contingent. Since deployed to the mission area in August 2021, the multi-functional engineering contingent has cleared 7,599 square meters of minefields with 2,122 mines discovered and disposed of, and 28 blue barrels refurbished along the Blue Line. The construction engineering contingent has completed 67 tasks with high standards including the construction of air defense bunkers and standard fences; and the medical contingent has served more than 4,000 UN personnel and local people, and made seven donations of medicines and medical supplies worth more than RMB 170,000 to local Lebanese communities, having won wide acclaim from the UNIFIL and local people.