PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodia ’s army announced Friday that it will resume joint military exercises with the United States early next year after they had been suspended for almost a decade.
14 with Elbridge A. The men said there were plans to resume a bilateral maritime exercise that had also been suspended in 2017. 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 U.S. has also been critical of Cambodia’s human rights record, including continuing clampdowns on political dissidents and critics, often through legal action by courts that rights groups say are under the influence of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party of Prime Minister Hun Manet . Hun Manet held talks on Aug. Colby , Under Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of War, on bilateral relations, especially on defense matters, and the resumption of military exercises. Colby is the third-ranking official in the War Department. U.S. Navy Adm. Steve Koehler, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, also met with Cambodian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Gen. Vong Pisen in August.
The army’s statement said the two countries have agreed to hold a joint drill, “ Exercise Angkor Sentinel 2027,” in February. The exercise aims to strengthen “interoperability and disaster-response capabilities, reflecting renewed momentum in Cambodia–U.S. military cooperation and a shared commitment to strengthening defense cooperation,” said Friday’s statement. Hun Manet said at the time he was satisfied with the “positive momentum in Cambodia–U.S. 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.
