Cambodia and Malaysia Agree to Deepen Defense Cooperation

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet held a cordial meeting and discussed work matters with Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin, Minister of Defence of Malaysia, at the Peace Palace on the morning of August 7, 2026. During the meeting, the Malaysian Minister of Defence highly praised the excellent relations and cooperation between the two countries, emphasizing that Cambodia is a close and trustworthy friend. He stated that his current visit would significantly contribute to strengthening bilateral relations and transforming commitments into concrete actions, aiming to further deepen Malaysia-Cambodia cooperation, especially in the defense sector. He also briefed the Prime Minister on the fruitful outcomes of the bilateral meeting between the two defense ministers. Furthermore, the Malaysian Minister affirmed Malaysia's commitment to continue providing training to Cambodia and exploring cooperation possibilities related to peacekeeping operations, responses to non-traditional security issues, maritime security, and capacity building in artificial intelligence (AI) technology within the defense sector. In response, Samdech Thipadei welcomed and expressed satisfaction with the progress of relations and cooperation between the two countries, highly valuing the numerous achievements of their cooperation, particularly in the defense sector. The Prime Minister stressed that the Cambodian government will continue to support the strengthening and expansion of cooperation between the two countries' defense ministries. He also expressed profound gratitude to the Malaysian government for its active participation in facilitating the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand in the past, as well as its leadership and continued significant involvement in the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) mechanism in Cambodia. The Prime Minister encouraged the defense ministries of both countries to further deepen and strengthen this cooperation. In addition, the Prime Minister and the Malaysian Minister of Defence discussed and exchanged views on several regional and international issues. Before concluding, the Prime Minister briefed the Malaysian Minister of Defence on the latest developments in the Cambodia-Thailand border situation, emphasizing Cambodia's commitment and stance to continue pursuing a peaceful border dispute resolution mechanism based on international law and in accordance with existing treaties, conventions, and agreements between the two countries.