KATHMANDU, April 3 (Xinhua) -- A multinational peacekeeping exercise with the participation of 1,135 peacekeeper trainers and cadets from 28 countries was concluded in Nepal on Monday, the Nepalese Army said.
Nepalese Defense Minister Balkrishna Khand announced the ending of the two-week long training that was named Shanti Prayas-III' and aimed at enhancing peacekeeping capabilities.
The training program was jointly organized by the Nepalese Army and US Pacific Command at Birendra Peace Operations Training Centre in Panchkhal of Kavrepalanchowk District.
Addressing the concluding ceremony, the defense minister said that the training program was helpful in order to enhance professional skills and abilities of the UN peacekeeper trainers and cadets from various countries around the world as well as promoting goodwill among them.
Mentioning about Nepal's continuous engagement in the UN peacekeeping operations in various parts of the world for the past 59 years, Defense Minister Khand said that over one hundred thousand Nepali peacekeepers have returned home accomplishing the peacekeeping missions so far and currently the number stands at 4,493.
The Nepalese Army said in a statement on Monday that the multinational peacekeeping exercise was able to strengthen and expand military ties between those countries involved in the program that started on March 20.
