Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and the country’s senior military officials met with Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, and officers from the US warship USS Savannah in the capital Phnom Penh on December 18.
The American warship USS Savannah prepares to dock in the port city of Sihanoukville in southern Cambodia on December 16.
During the above meeting, both sides expressed their commitment to strengthening and expanding bilateral cooperation in the field of defense, according to Khmer Times today cited an announcement from the Cambodian Prime Minister’s Office.
Prime Minister Hun Manet announced that the visit of the US delegation led by Admiral Paparo and the arrival of the USS Savannah at Cambodia’s Sihanoukville port from December 16 will further promote relations and cooperation between the two countries in the field of defense. .
For his part, Admiral Paparo said his visit represents a continuation of efforts to strengthen US-Cambodia relations, especially in the field of defense, after the visit to Cambodia in June by the Minister of National Defense. American room Lloyd Austin.
Mr. Paparo pledged to continue to strengthen cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces through exchanges at all levels, training initiatives and joint exercises.
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Speaking at a press conference held next to the USS Savannah at Sihanoukville port on December 18, Admiral Paparo praised ongoing efforts to strengthen and expand bilateral friendship and cooperation between the US and Cambodia.
“From the beginning, we have also talked about expanding the exercise program and possibly returning to some of the exercises we have done in the past, especially the air exercises and Angkor Sentinel . And we will participate in negotiations seriously,” Mr. Paparo said at the above press conference.
The last annual bilateral exercise between the US and Cambodia was the 2016 Angkor Sentinel exercise, which took place at the Multinational Peacekeeping Force Training School in Cambodia’s Kampong Speu province. This exercise is organized by the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and sponsored by US Army Forces in the Pacific, according to Khmer Times.
Exercise Angkor Sentinel is designed to strengthen humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities and improve military cooperation between the two countries.
