Secretary of Defense honors the United Nations peacekeeping force in Brazil

 Brazil's Defense Minister Nelson Jobim extended on Friday his gratitude to Brazilian soldiers participating UN peacekeeping missions overseas.

Jobim made the remarks in a message to celebrate the ninth International Day of UN Peacekeepers on May 29. The minister is now attending a meeting of defense chiefs from the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) in Argentina.

"When we remember these individuals and honor their efforts, we pledge to continually support thousands of soldiers and police deployed throughout the world, who are trying to ensure that millions of innocent people have their lives protected from the barbarity of violence," he said.

Referring to the Brazil-led UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which started in 2004, he reaffirms Brazil's steadfast "commitment to altruism and the advancement of humanistic values."

Currently, 2,249 Brazilian peacekeepers are deployed on UN missions around the world, the majority of whom are part of MINUSTAH, according to the Brazilian Defense Ministry.

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