AKP Phnom Penh, March 24, 2025 —

Major General Sem Ratana, Acting Director-General of the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces, Mine and ERW Clearance (NPMEC), met with Japanese Defence Attaché Colonel Hara Takashi this morning to discuss ongoing cooperation in military training.

During the meeting, Major General Sem Ratana expressed deep gratitude to Japan for its strong collaboration with NPMEC, particularly in providing training for Cambodian forces both domestically and abroad. He highlighted that over the past few years, Japan has supported 13 training programmes, including 12 in Cambodia, benefiting 263 trainees in civil engineering and surveying. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan also conducted online training for five Cambodian instructors.

Major General Sem Ratana noted that in 2021 and 2022, Japan organised trilateral training programmes for Cambodian trainees and instructors in engineering fields. In 2023, Japanese military instructors trained 15 Cambodian personnel on operating graders in a four-week course, which yielded positive results.

Additionally, two female Japanese instructors provided training in civil engineering, focusing on heavy machinery operation, particularly excavators, for 30 trainees, including three women. Seven Cambodian personnel also received overseas training in horizontal construction engineering and explosives handling.

Major General Sem Ratana requested continued Japanese support for an additional five years in surveying, horizontal and vertical construction, and further training for Cambodian instructors tailored to real-world mission environments. He also proposed scholarships for outstanding trainees to undergo short- to medium-term training at Japanese engineering institutions, with practical training on modern surveying equipment and drone technology.

These initiatives aim to enhance Cambodia’s engineering capabilities in UN peacekeeping missions and strengthen bilateral cooperation through annual exchange programmes and joint events.

In response, Colonel Hara Takashi expressed appreciation for the ongoing collaboration between Japan and NPMEC in preparing Cambodian peacekeeping forces for UN missions. He assured Major General Sem Ratana that he would forward the requests to Japanese senior leadership for further review and consideration.

By K. Rithy Reak