Original report from Washington
04 March 2009
Cambodia and the US have agreed to establish military attachés in their respective embassies, officials say, in a move that further enhances cooperation between the two countries.
“A military attaché between Cambodia and the US is a very good sign, in order to have better cooperation and confidence in each other, Kouy Koung, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told VOA Khmer.
Mutual defense attachés have not existed between the two since the 1970s.
The agreement was made in January, to strengthen Cambodia’s military capacity to combat crime, such as drug trafficking and production, human trafficking and terrorism, Kouy Koung said.
Cambodian Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh told VOA Khmer by phone that the reemergence of a defense attaché established a relationship “like countries around the world.”
The US has provided equipment and training to Cambodia since 2006, and will assist in the future with equipment, training and courses in English for the military, US Embassy spokesman John Johnson said.
The US gave 31 trucks to the Defense Ministry last year, along with $7 million in military aid.
An opposition lawmaker said the addition of defense attaché to the missions of each country would improve Cambodia’s currently “unprofessional” defense force.
Cambodia has also enjoyed improving military relationships with Vietnam and China.
“A military attaché between Cambodia and the US is a very good sign, in order to have better cooperation and confidence in each other, Kouy Koung, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told VOA Khmer.
Mutual defense attachés have not existed between the two since the 1970s.
The agreement was made in January, to strengthen Cambodia’s military capacity to combat crime, such as drug trafficking and production, human trafficking and terrorism, Kouy Koung said.
Cambodian Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh told VOA Khmer by phone that the reemergence of a defense attaché established a relationship “like countries around the world.”
The US has provided equipment and training to Cambodia since 2006, and will assist in the future with equipment, training and courses in English for the military, US Embassy spokesman John Johnson said.
The US gave 31 trucks to the Defense Ministry last year, along with $7 million in military aid.
An opposition lawmaker said the addition of defense attaché to the missions of each country would improve Cambodia’s currently “unprofessional” defense force.
Cambodia has also enjoyed improving military relationships with Vietnam and China.
12 comments:
This is good for Cambodia as well as the United States. It will allow for military experts on both sides to be attached to a diplomatic staff of both countries' respective embassies. This will definitely allow for better cooperation intelligence coordination between the United States and Cambodia
Sure, you can have anything you like in your attache, but "no oil for weapons" program, please.
Khmer never learn their lesson! USA had screwed us up before! they ran away from us remember?? that's why Pol Pot killed prince Sarimatak Sisowath and the entire family..i don't trust US!
yes, i think it will serve cambodia and the USA well. after all, cambodia do want to have a good, permanent relationship with america. we love american military and american standard of living, and so on; and hopefully, most cambodians or khmer people would like to see more america's economical and technical involvement in cambodia. who of us who were fortunate enough to live in america for the past 20 or 30 years can appreciate the american way such as freedom, safety, education, financial assistance, etc, etc... khmer people are truly grateful for american people and gov't who always showed great humanitarian, human rights, justice and fairness not only to cambodian people but to all the people from all over the world as well. so, i'm pretty sure khmer people would like to have the USA assistance in many ways. of course, there will always be some people who are not really fond of the american presence in cambodia due to past, bad experience, etc..., however, i think it will be great for cambdoia to make allies with the USA again. i have nothing against the USA in cambodia. of course, everything said here will be dealt with via our two countries' diplomacy, etc... it is the least the USA can do for cambodia after what cambodia went through. it should be a new chapter and new era in a lasting friendship between the two countries again. cambodia like to invite the USA to come do business and help cambodia to become better in many ways. i get very envious when i see the philipines, thailand, hong kong, singapore, korea, japan and so on welcome america and cambodia was left out for a long time due to war, etc... now, it is the right time for america to come back to cambodia and make friends with cambodia permanently. god bless cambodia and the USA.
what is military Attache? can somebody give me some idea what it means and is it goood or bad to have attache? and what is the use of Attahce? pls give me some explanation & example... thank you to post your idea...
It's just rhetoric, mate, and rhetoric is often bad.
9:39 AM
Means NOTHING. Its primary concern is for embassy evacuation for its staff (mainly the ambassador). If Cambodia ever to collapse again, the U.S. will not stick around to help, again, will only evacuate its staff and the ambassador, and then there're HOME.
9:39am, that's what dictionaries are made for, if you ever attended college, you do your own research, etc...; but anyway, since perhaps you are an eager student or from a province with no dictionary, etc... i can help to enlight you a bit here: the term attache i.e. military attache or cultural attache, etc... means a diplomatic official or military officer attached to an embassy in a foreign country, esp. in a technical capacity of exchange, diplomatically speaking. god bless cambodia.
hey, cambodia needs miliatry reforms and military expert to train us in order to protect cambodia's lands and seas territories, etc... so i'm for that. plus, the US military can help to drive the economy in cambodia, too, you know; so, why not? let bygone be bygone. we can start fresh and establish new relationship for cambodia to become a better place for all. we all love cambodi; cambodia is so beautiful and rich in cultural value, natural resources and so on, and i'm sure everyone can learn from the lesson in cambodia and life goes on, you know. as the french called it, c'est la vie, n'est-ce pas? god bless cambodia.
Can't trust US! they bombard my village and ran a way from us, just left us in the dark..1975
i'm pretty sure most khmer people would rather trust and prefer the USA than the vietcong influence in cambodia. does that answer your question?
The Kingdom of Cambodia prefer friendship around the world than enemy.Khmer people want make friend not enemy.
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