Vietnam and Canada jointly launched a United Nations staff officer training course at the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations in Hanoi on Monday.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Binh, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, and Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Shawn Steil co-hosted the opening ceremony of the course, gathering 64 lecturers, coordinators, and officers.

As part of Canada's Military Training and Cooperation Program, the training course is aimed at providing the participants with knowledge and skills needed to perform duties as UN military staff officers.

The course is also expected to improve Vietnam’s capacity for hosting intensive international training courses on UN peacekeeping and developing a team of UN peacekeeping lecturers.

Besides, the course is set to enhance the friendship and collaboration between Vietnam and Canada as well as international partners in UN peacekeeping.

Lieutenant General Binh said that Vietnam has received tremendous support from Canada over the past decade in preparation and deployment of forces for UN peacekeeping missions.

Binh stressed that this is the first time that Vietnam and Canada have co-hosted a UN staff officer course, adding that it is the fourth intensive international training course on UN peacekeeping co-held by both sides in Vietnam, at a time when the Southeast Asian nation is deeply engaging in UN-led peacekeeping operations.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Steil spoke highly of the Vietnam-Canada partnership in peacekeeping, particularly the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in UN peacekeeping last year.

The Canadian diplomat elaborated that the growing Vietnam-Canada defense ties are clearly evident in this training course.

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