AKP Phnom Penh, October 20, 2026 --

Cambodia and the Philippines have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening military-to-military cooperation, particularly in defence and security, military training, capacity building, and cooperation between their naval and air forces.

The commitment was highlighted during a meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet and Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff H.E. Lt. Gen. Antonio G. Natarrete at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh on Tuesday morning.

During the meeting, General Natarrete underscored the longstanding and positive relations and cooperation between the two countries, particularly in defence and security. He expressed satisfaction with the progress of cooperation between their respective armies and reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to further strengthening and expanding military cooperation, especially between their navies and air forces.

In response, Samdech Thipadei warmly welcomed General Natarrete and his delegation to Cambodia and congratulated him on his recent appointment as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The Cambodian Premier expressed satisfaction with the progress in bilateral defence cooperation, particularly in sharing and exchanging experiences through military training and capacity-building programmes between the two armies. He expressed confidence that this cooperation would continue to deepen and expand, while the two countries would work towards signing agreements on naval and air force cooperation in the future and translating them into concrete actions and results.

Samdech Thipadei also commended the role of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) and expressed confidence that, under the Philippines’ leadership, the team would continue to contribute actively to the peaceful resolution of border issues between Cambodia and Thailand.

He briefed the Philippine delegation on the latest developments along the Cambodia–Thailand border and reaffirmed Cambodia’s position that the dispute must be resolved peacefully, based on existing bilateral agreements, conventions and treaties, as well as international law. He also reiterated Cambodia’s firm commitment to respecting the agreements reached between the two countries.

Concluding the meeting, the two leaders exchanged views on further strengthening close military-to-military cooperation to combat transnational crimes, including online scams, terrorism and cyberattacks, thereby contributing to the maintenance of peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world.

By C. Nika