PHNOM PENH: The Cambodian Army and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen ties and expand bilateral cooperation to a stronger and higher level.

The signing ceremony took place at the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Command on Wednesday, 15 February 2023, between the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and the Commander of the Army, Lt. Gen. Hun Manet, and the Chief of Ground Staff for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), General Yoshida Yoshihide.

This military cooperation will promote activities in a number of key areas, such as the exchange of visits of senior leaders and officers at all levels, joint training and exercises, unit-to-unit linkages, information exchange and material assistance, as well as exchange of military equipment and technology.

Lt. Gen. Hun Manet thanked the army and people of Japan for aiding the Royal Government of Cambodia during times of difficulty, including Japan’s participation in the peace process as well as in the Kingdom’s economic development. He also highlighted Japan's important role in maintaining peace and promoting development in the region.

During the meeting, the two sides praised the achievements made through bilateral cooperation in recent years, especially in maintaining regular communication, as evidenced by the exchange of visits by leaders and senior military personnel, which was previously unprecedented in the history of Cambodia-Japan relations.

Going forward, the two military counterparts discussed the concepts and mechanisms for implementing various directions of cooperation, especially on strengthening the capacity of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) in demining efforts, disaster relief operations, and promoting the "Cambodia-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership", which was recently installed and will be implemented from 2023 onwards.