PHNOM PENH: During his visit to Cambodia, the Commander of the Singapore Army, Major-General David Neo, and his accompanying delegation, held bilateral talks with the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and Commander of the Army, Lt. Gen. Hun Manet, on Monday morning, 27 February 2023, at the RCAF Army Command.
During the meeting, the two sides expressed pride in the close friendly relations between Cambodia and Singapore since the establishment of formal diplomatic ties in 1965, when Cambodia was one of the first countries in the world to recognize Singapore's independence. The two sides acknowledged that at present, bilateral cooperation in all fields has progressed steadily.
They especially praised the fruitful achievements made in the fields of education, training, human resource development, delegation exchanges at all levels, and providing material support. The two sides noted the importance of further strengthening and expanding this cooperation more actively for the mutual benefit of both countries and peoples, as well as to maintain peace and security in the region.
A number of joint activities for mutual benefit were set out during the meeting, including joint training exercises in disaster relief operations, friendly parachuting, and the exchange of experiences, skills, and communication between units. The two sides are also examining the possibility of establishing a working relationship mechanism between the two countries' armies for communication on a regular basis.
Major-General David Neo also commended the Royal Government of Cambodia for its effective control of the Covid-19 pandemic and highlighted Cambodia's success in hosting the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus) in November 2022.
Major-General David Neo’s current visit to Cambodia is the second official visit made by a Commander of the Singapore Army to Cambodia. The latest visit is expected to be an additional driving force in promoting and enhancing relations between the two armies.
