(Press Release)
June 25, 2021
Japan Ministry of Defense
Japan-Cambodia Defense Ministers’ Video Teleconference
On June 25, 2021, commencing at 1530 for approximately 50 minutes, Minister KISHI held a video teleconference with Samdech Pichey Sana Tea Banh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Kingdom of Cambodia.
1 Both Ministers exchanged views on bilateral defense cooperation and exchanges and welcomed steady progress of cooperation made in a wide range of areas, including capacity building, education exchanges and multilateral cooperation based on the Memorandum on Defense Cooperation and Exchanges signed in 2013. Moreover, the two Ministers also welcomed the successful delivery of “Online Educational Program on Road Surveying Techniques” in the area of peacekeeping operations (Engineering) held in February 2021 and the fact that the both countries were able to share lessons learned in the context of preventing the spread of infectious diseases through “Japan-ASEAN HA/DR Online Seminar” held in April 2021. Furthermore, both Ministers also concurred that Japan and Cambodia will promote further defense cooperation and exchanges, including continuing cooperation in training personnel in the field of peacekeeping operations.
2 Also, both Ministers exchanged views on the recent regional security issues, including the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Both Ministers confirmed the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight, and reaffirmed the critical need for observing international law based primarily on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and reaffirmed to work together to promote the cooperation between the “ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)” and a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” to uphold and reinforce a free and open Indo-Pacific. In addition, Minister Kishi expressed his steadfast opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or any actions that threaten tensions.
Both Ministers shared the view that the launches of ballistic missiles by North Korea including those committed in March, which violate UNSC resolutions, pose a serious challenge to the international community as a whole.
Regarding the situation in Myanmar, Minister Kishi welcomed the outcome of ASEAN Leader’s Meeting and both Ministers affirmed their intent to continue to cooperate closely on this matter.
3 In this context, both Ministers also concurred in proactively promoting defense cooperation and exchanges to uphold and reinforce a free and open Indo-Pacific, while maintaining close communication between their respective defense authorities.
