(Phnom Penh): General Vong Pisen, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), and General Tan Sri Dato' Seri Haji Malek Razak Bin Sulaiman, Chief of Defence Forces of the Malaysian Armed Forces, during a bilateral meeting on Thursday morning (Jul. 9), agreed to deepen bilateral military cooperation further and jointly contribute to maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity in both countries and across the ASEAN region.
General Vong Pisen highly appreciated the Malaysian military chief's official visit, describing it as another step in strengthening the longstanding friendship between the armed forces of the two countries, as 2026 marks the 69th anniversary of Cambodia-Malaysia diplomatic relations.
He also expressed gratitude for Malaysia's contributions to peace in Cambodia during the 1993 UNTAC mission, as well as its role in facilitating dialogue over the Cambodia-Thailand border issue in 2025, including its initiative to establish the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT).
The Cambodian military chief reaffirmed Cambodia's commitment to resolving border issues peacefully, in accordance with international law and relevant agreements, while rejecting the use of force to alter borders.
During the meeting, Cambodia proposed that Malaysia expedite the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation, expand collaboration across all military branches, enhance training and joint exercises, strengthen information sharing, and continue supporting the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT).
In response, General Tan Mallek Razak Bin Sulaiman thanked Cambodia for its warm hospitality, stating that the visit was aimed at further strengthening the longstanding relationship between the two armed forces. He also praised the Cambodian military for exercising restraint and avoiding the use of force despite the continued sensitivity of the border situation.
The Malaysian side reaffirmed its strong support for resolving the Cambodia-Thailand dispute through dialogue under the General Border Committee (GBC) or the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) mechanisms, in line with the principle of ASEAN centrality. It emphasised that the use of force is not a solution.
General Tan Mallek Razak Bin Sulaiman also expressed support for Cambodia's proposals to strengthen military cooperation and confirmed that Malaysia would continue backing the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) in monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire and contributing to peace and stability along the Cambodia-Thailand border and throughout the ASEAN region.
=FRESH NEWS
