Cambodia and Turkey to Forge Military Ties
Cambodia and Turkey to Forge Military Ties
Cambodia and Turkey have agreed to study the possibility of forging military ties, beginning with the training of Cambodian troops in Turkish military academies.
The agreement was made during a five-day visit to Turkey, which ended on Friday, by Defence Minister General Tea Banh when he met his Turkish counterpart General Hulusi Akar in Ankara.
An RCAF statement obtained yesterday said that during their meeting, Gen Akar noted that he considered Gen Banh’s visit as an important step in opening up avenues of cooperation between both countries’ armed forces.
The statement said Gen Akar raised the possibility of training Cambodian military personnel in his country and exchange visits by the armed forces of both countries.
“We can share experience and knowledge related to the military sector and work together on our common interests regarding regional peace and stability,” it quoted the Turkish Defence Minister as saying.
The statement said that Gen Banh responded by saying he was delighted that an official visit to Turkey materialised as it has helped boost bilateral relationships and forge military cooperation between both countries.
“Although there are not many areas of cooperation, we are looking forward to working on some issues such as enhancing technical cooperation, industry, military equipment,” he said. “[We] can exchange views and share information about terrorists, policies and experiences in military affairs.”
Gen Banh also highlighted that Prime Minister Hun Sen had worked hard to achieve peace and national unity, which resulted in progressive development for the Kingdom.
He also highlighted the fact Cambodia has sent troops for UN peacekeeping missions since 2006 as part of the Kingdom’s contributions towards preserving world peace.
Defence Ministry spokesman General Chhum Sucheat could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sokhonn on Friday said the government is now considering the possibility of opening an embassy each in Africa and Latin America to widen diplomatic ties but did not state where.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the ministry’s annual conference Mr Sokhonn noted that increasing the number of diplomatic missions around the world will definitely strain the country’s resources.
He also said that Cambodia is now preparing to open an embassy in Turkey, expand existing ones in Bulgaria and Serbia and establish consular offices in some other countries.
Cambodia has diplomatic ties with 174 countries and 63 embassies in foreign countries, Mr Sokhonn added.
Chheang Vannarith, president of the Asian Vision Institute, said yesterday via email that relations between Cambodia and Turkey have strengthened over the past few years with the Kingdom agreeing to open an embassy in Ankara last year.
“Turkey is trying to expand economic and security engagements with Southeast Asian countries.
Cambodia is one of the key partners in this engagement strategy,” he said. “Defence and security cooperation are key elements of bilateral cooperation.”
Khmer Times
