The army announced that it will resume joint military exercises with the United States early next year after they had been suspended for almost a decade.
The announcement on the Facebook page of the Royal Cambodian Army came after several recent meetings of the countries’ top defence officials intended to patch up rocky relations. Cambodia halted such exercises with the United States in 2017.
The army’s statement said the two countries have agreed to hold a joint drill, “Exercise Angkor Sentinel 2027”, in February.
The news suggested the two sides made progress in overcoming their differences, including Washington’s concerns about Cambodia’s close economic and political ties with China.
The exercise aims to strengthen “interoperability and disaster-response capabilities, reflecting renewed momentum in Cambodia-US military cooperation and a shared commitment to strengthening defence cooperation,” said Friday’s statement.
Prime Minister Hun Manet held talks on Aug 14 with Elbridge A. Colby, Under Secretary for Policy at the US Department of War, on bilateral relations, especially on defence matters, and the resumption of military exercises. Colby is the third-ranking official in the War Department.
Hun Manet said at the time he was satisfied with the “positive momentum in Cambodia-US relations” and the progress in preparing for renewing the Angkor Sentinel exercise, as well as the continued cooperation in capacity-building for the Cambodian Armed Forces. — AP
