BANGKOK: Thai Defense Minister Prayut Chan Ocha has expressed his support and praise for the friendly relations and good cooperation between the three types of troops at all levels with Cambodia, which he said has played an important role in promoting relations between Thailand and Cambodia to become stronger and more long-lasting.

During a meeting with the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and Commander of the Army, Lt. Gen. Hun Manet, on Tuesday afternoon, 20 September, Minister Prayut warmly welcomed the high-level delegation of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and extended his greetings to Prime Minister Hun Sen and Cambodian Defense Minister, DPM Tea Banh.

With regard to military cooperation between the two countries, Minister Prayut expressed his support and appreciation for the close friendly relations and good cooperation between the three types of troops at all levels, which has promoted the relationship between the two countries to be stronger and longer-lasting.

The Thai Defense Minister also congratulated Cambodia on successfully hosting the 16th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (16th ADMM) in June and reaffirmed his support for Cambodia’s ASEAN Chairmanship, including the measures taken to resolve the crisis in Myanmar. He further extended his best wishes to Cambodia to continue to accomplishing noble and important task until the end of 2022.

In response, Lt. Gen. Hun Manet, thanked Minister Prayut for his continued support in further strengthening military cooperation between Cambodia and Thailand, as reflected in the significant achievements made by the two armies. He also gave mention to the good cooperation between the front-line units along the border, linked to the tactical units and individual soldiers who help build trust and enhance closeness. In addition, he said that the mutual human resource training is not only for the present but also for future generations.

The Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Cambodian Armed Forces also spoke about the joint efforts between Cambodia and Thailand in building and strengthening a border of friendship, peace, cooperation, and development. He further affirmed that peace, security, and stability along the border are conducive to cross-border trade, which contributes significantly to job creation and improving the livelihoods of the people of both countries.

He also thanked the Royal Government of Thailand, along with the people and army of Thailand, for providing mutual support and warm coordination with the Cambodian people living and working along the border during the Covid-19 pandemic.