September 22, 2022
PHNOM PENH – Leaders of the armies of Cambodia and Thailand committed to maintaining close relations and friendship and continued cooperation, in line with their agreed terms of reference (ToR) to protect and further advance the ties.
The pledge came at their September 19-20 bilateral meetings between Lieutenant General Hun Manet – Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and Commander of the Royal Cambodian Army – and Thai Army Commander-in-Chief General Narongpan Jitkaewtae in the Thai capital Bangkok.
Manet’s Thailand visit was the second of its kind by the RCAF leadership.
“The two counterparts expressed their willingness to maintain strong relations and cooperation in activities at army level and subordinate units, in line with the ToR between the two armies. The two sides intend to continue to develop the bonds of solidarity, friendship, trust and cooperation more closely,” said a report on the meeting.
It said the continuation of friendly relations and good cooperative practices is indispensable to protect and further the progress of the two nations under the shadow of peace, stability and common prosperity.
Narongpan commended Cambodia for its development in all sectors and noted the development of the abilities of the Cambodian armed forces, which are moving forward remarkably.
Manet attributed the bonds of close friendship and good cooperation at all levels between the two countries to a partnership of peace and prosperity.
He described the visit as a testament to the continuation of the traditional and meaningful relations between the two nations’ armies.
The report added that both sides appreciated the results of cooperation to curb and crack down on transnational crimes such as illegal timber logging, drug dealing and human trafficking. They have also maintained regular working relations between regional military and direct cooperation between front-line units despite the pandemic.
“More importantly, during natural disasters and other perilous situations, we focus our attention on actively cooperating and assisting responsibly,” it continued.
The report said both sides were pleased and satisfied with joint efforts to implement the ToR, which was co-signed by the two armies on February 3. Thanks to the cooperation, practical achievements of trade exchanges, human resource training, friendly parachute jumps and joint training had been accomplished.
During his visit, Manet also met with Gen Chalermphon Srisawasdi, Chief of Defence Forces of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
“This visit really reflects the close cooperation between the armies of the two countries as well as the spirit of maintaining and promoting this important relationship,” he said.
Chalermphon briefed Manet on the fruitful results of the bilateral meetings, especially the practical achievements of ToR implementation.
In return, Manet asked that the Thai defence chief support the direction of future cooperation, especially between frontline units to curb and crack down on transnational crimes. He also suggested further cooperation on disaster rescue operations on the border.
Chalermphon supported the requests and reiterated his support for Cambodia as the rotating chair of ASEAN.