Discussions about the resumption of the “Angkor Sentinel” military exercises between the US and Cambodia may take place in February during an upcoming visit to the Kingdom by the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command Commander.
This announcement was made by US defense attaché Colonel Kyle Saltzman, as he met with General Vong Pisen, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), on the morning of January 13.
During the meeting Pisen requested that the US expand the agenda for the upcoming visit to include training, exchange programmes, counter-terrorism, transnational crime prevention, the recovery of US personnel remains and discussions on the possibility of resuming joint military exercises.
Colonel Saltzman praised the bilateral relationship and thanked Cambodia for its efforts in recovering the remains of missing US personnel. He also emphasised the potential for renewed discussions on the resumption of the Angkor Sentinel exercises.
“Colonel Saltzman highlighted that in February, the US Indo-Pacific Command commander will visit Cambodia to discuss future cooperation, including opportunities to resume the Angkor Sentinel joint exercise,” explained a RCAF social media release.
The current commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command is Admiral Samuel J. Paparo.
Kyle Saltzman (left), the director of the U.S. Military Attaché Office in Cambodia, meets with General Vong Pisen, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, on the morning of January 13. RCAF
The Angkor Sentinel exercises were last conducted in 2016 and have been on hold since.
Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, described the discussions about resuming the joint exercises as a positive sign of improving US-Cambodia relations. These relations have generally been strained due to disagreements over democracy and the Kingdom’s perceived close ties with China.
“There are several areas where the US and Cambodia can collaborate,” Kin Phea said.
“However, there are also points of contention, particularly regarding democratic processes, human rights, political space and the rule of law. The Cambodian government views some US ‘concerns’ as interference in its internal affairs,” he added.
He noted that the US perceives Cambodia’s close relationship with China as a sign of the country being under Chinese influence.
Phea emphasised the potential benefits of the Angkor Sentinel exercises, particularly in the areas of disaster response and national defence. He suggested that Cambodia maintain diplomatic balance with all countries, based on principles of respecting sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
US embassy spokesperson Wesley Holzer noted that the US looks forward to continued engagement on defence issues with the government of Cambodia and the RCAF, including through a wide range of working-level exchanges and high-level visits.
