PH, Cambodia pursue talks on more military training activities
Following the visit of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in February, officials of the Philippine Army (PA) and the Royal Cambodian Army (RCA) pursued talks for deeper military cooperation, particularly in training.
PA chief Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido and RCA commander Gen. Mao Sophan in Phnom Penh on Friday, as part of Galido’s reciprocal visit following Gen. Mao’s trip to the Philippines in March.
“The Philippine Army leadership supports purposeful and impactful International Military Affairs engagements between the Philippines and Cambodia as a tool to reinforce regional cooperation and to advance the shared goal of peace and progress in Southeast Asia,” the Philippine Army said in a statement on Saturday.
Galido was in Cambodia as the guest of honor and speaker at the joint closing ceremony of the Philippine Army-Royal Cambodian Army Mobile Training Team at the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Training Center in Kampong Speu on Saturday.
He also paid a courtesy call on Cambodian Senate President Samdech Hun Sen, a former military officer who served as Cambodia’s prime minister from 1998 to 2023 and was succeeded by his son, incumbent Prime Minister Hun Manet.
Training agreement
Both armies signed an agreement in 2023 creating the PA-RCA Army Working Group, which facilitates joint planning and coordination for military exchanges and cooperation.
The talks followed the February visit to Manila of Hun Manet, who declared keen interest in improving relations with the Philippines to a “new level.”
“We are keen on taking our collaborations to [a] new height,” Manet said after he met with President Marcos at Malacañang in February. “Today, I look forward to our discussions to deepen our engagement and unlock opportunities for shared growth and prosperity for our two nations and beyond.”
“The friendship between our two countries is long-lasting, which historical ties date back to 1872 when the late His Majesty and King Norodom visited the Philippines,” Manet said. “Over the decades, our relationship has flourished built on mutual respect and shared interests.”
Both nations mark this year 68 years of diplomatic relations that were established in 1957, but famed American historian William Henry Scott claimed that even before the Philippines was colonized by Spain, there were records of mercenaries from Luzon involved in wars between Myanmar and Thailand, whose territories then included parts of modern-day Cambodia.
Manet said that his government valued the Philippines’ contributions to the peace process and human resource development in civilian and military sectors in Cambodia and acknowledged the resident Filipino community’s contribution to Cambodia’s socioeconomic development.
There are now over 7,000 Filipinos who live and work in the country, and Manet highlighted during his visit the cooperation between the two countries, which spans multiple sectors, including defense, security, trade, investment, the economy and people-to-people exchanges.
