General Hun Manet told UK ambassador Dominic Williams that Cambodia appreciates the cooperation between the two nations in all areas, particularly in defence, with the British side demonstrating its commitment to strengthening ties and expanding cooperation between the two countries' armies.
Gen Manet – deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) – met with Williams on March 30 at the RCAF headquarters in Phnom Penh.
In a social media post after the meeting, Manet said the ambassador spoke highly of the good cooperation between Cambodia and the UK, especially in areas of trade, tourism, education and demining in 2023. The two countries also plan to hold events to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
“On the defence side, the ambassador demonstrated his commitment to continuing efforts to strengthen ties and expand cooperation between the two countries' militaries, as evidenced by the UK Royal Navy visit to Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in February,” he said.
Manet complimented the cooperation between the two countries, especially the UK’s participation in Cambodia's peace and development process, such as through the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP).
Manet also mentioned the potential for bilateral cooperation in many areas of defence and healthcare, and raised the possibility of establishing direct flights to Cambodia to promote closer ties between the two kingdoms.
“Manet also thanked the government of the UK for its cooperation in key strategic operations. He supported the direction of the two governments and the two defence ministries in further promoting security and defence cooperation,” he added.
