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Sr. Col. Nguyen Ba Hung speaks at the event. |
According to VNDPKO’s Deputy Director Senior Colonel Nguyen Ba Hung, the course equips officers from the Vietnam People’s Army and Lao People’s Army with knowledge and professional skills for U.N. military observer duties, preparing them for deployment to U.N. peacekeeping missions as military observers and other related positions.
It also enhances Vietnam’s capacity to conduct advanced training programs and strengthens cooperation with Laos and Germany in U.N. peacekeeping.
The course, running from September 23 to October 17, has three phases, namely theory on U.N. regulations, specialized skills for military observers, and comprehensive practice.
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An overview of the opening ceremony of the refresher course |
Instructors include experienced staff from the VNDPKO, the Military Medical University and two international instructors, Lt. Col. Frank Maginsky from the Bundeswehr U.N. Training Center, and Lt. Col. Stéphane Yves Michel Legros, an E.U. technical advisor to the VNDPKO. The course gathers 25 Vietnamese and five Lao officers.
Sr. Col. Nguyen Ba Hung noted that this is the first time the VNDPKO has independently organized the course, reflecting the department’s professionalism and self-reliance after more than 10 years engaging in U.N. peacekeeping.
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Lt. Col. Frank Maginsky is among the course’s instructors. |
Lt. Col. Frank Maginsky highlighted challenges U.N. military observers face such as language barriers, cultural differences, and harsh working conditions, stressing the course provides them with essential skills to successfully fulfill their duties.
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Delegates in a group photo |
Lt. Col. Phongsavath Khamphouy, Head of the Department of Tactics under the Department of Military Training under the General Staff of the Lao People’s Army, said the course is an opportunity for Laos to learn from Vietnam’s peacekeeping experience, reaffirming the close friendship between the two countries.
Translated by Mai Huong