Cambodia hosts first multilateral operational training exercise on mine clearance

Cambodia is hosting the first multinational operational exercise at the Humanitarian Mine Action Field within the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus under the theme “Pure Homeland-2023”.

Participants of the first international Humanitarian Mine Action Field Training Exercise (Photo: khmertimeskh.com)

The first-of-its-kind multinational event, which will last for 10 days, began on September 13 at the National Peacekeeping Forces Training Centre in Phnom Sruoch district of Kampong Speu province, with the participation of 450 officers and soldiers from 14 countries.

General Sem Sovanny, Vice Chairman of the National Committee and Director General of Cambodia's National Peacekeeping Training Centre, said that though the centre has hosted several events, it is for the time that it is hosting an international training exercise on humanitarian mine action field.

This is the first time Cambodia has hosted the exercise, co-chaired by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. The multinational exercise was carefully designed to exchange experience under the auspices of the Chinese Friends and the 14-nation multinational forces, namely Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Laos, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, the US, and Vietnam.

This exercise will be an important contribution to the journey towards a landmine-free Cambodia in 2025, especially in support of Hun Sen’s initiative to “provide safe land, create a smile”.

During the training, participants will have a study tour to potential tourist sites in Cambodia as well as humanitarian work in addition to training in the field./.

VNA