November 08, 2022 | 17:54 (GMT+7)
More than 3,500 Vietnamese military officers join Vietnam-Australia defense cooperation program
PANO - The Australian Embassy to Vietnam, on November 7, held a meeting with Vietnamese military students and officers who have studied and worked in Australia in the framework of the defense cooperation program between Vietnam and Australia.
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Acting Director of the Australian Defense Department’s International Policy Division David Lewis speaking at the event |
The event was attended by Major General Nguyen Hong Phuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Personnel under the General Department of Political Affairs; Major General Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations; Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski; and Acting Director of the Australian Defense Department’s International Policy Division David Lewis.
Currently, Australia is a leading English speaking country in helping Vietnamese soldiers learn the English language and other fields at various levels. 22 years ago, the first course was launched with 17 trainees. So far, more than 3,500 Vietnamese trainees have completed training courses in the framework of the bilateral defense cooperation program.
Addressing the event, Mr. David Lewis underscored that training and education sector plays an important role in the defense cooperation program. This is an occasion for participants to recall memories and for the Vietnamese trainees to express their gratitude to Australian lecturers. He also affirmed that cooperation in training and education lays a firm foundation for both defense ministries to step by step deepen the bilateral relations.
On behalf of the Vietnamese military units, General Phuong thanked the Australian defense units for their effective cooperation over the past time. He also underscored that the bilateral cooperation has seen fruitful achievements in many fields, especially in training and education cooperation.
According to General Phuong, every year, the Australian Defense Department offers 15 scholarships to Vietnamese military officers and teaches English for nearly 300 Vietnamese trainees with good quality, contributing to boosting the cooperative relationship between the two militaries.
The Vietnamese general also expressed his hope that the Australian Defense Department will continue support Vietnam in training and education work, focusing on English teaching for Vietnamese military instructors in the field of science and technology and international cooperation; while granting more scholarships in the field of maritime and international law.
Regarding the U.N. peacekeeping cooperation, the Australian Defense Department will organize training courses to improve the comprehensive capacity of Vietnamese troops to participate in U.N. peacekeeping operations.
Translated by Minh Anh