Xinhua | 2014-3-31
By Agencies
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh left for Hawaii Sunday night to attend the ASEAN-US defense ministers' meeting slated for April 1-3.
Gen. Nem Sowath, chief of the Defense Ministry's Policy and Foreign Affairs Department, said this is be the first time the US has ever hosted all ASEAN defense ministers' meeting in the US
"Three main topics including ASEAN defense cooperation, maritime security, and disaster relief will be discussed at the meeting," he told reporters at the Phnom Penh International Airport before Tea Banh's departure. "The participants will also exchange views on regional security issues."
Tea Banh will also hold bilateral talks with US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to discuss military cooperation between the two countries.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Tea Banh Travels to US for Asean Defense Ministers Meeting
BY MECH DARA AND JOSHUA WILWOHL | APRIL 1, 2014
Defense Minister Tea Banh will meet Tuesday in Hawaii with U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel as well as nine other Asean defense ministers at the first U.S.-hosted meeting with the regional defense chiefs, officials said.
Gen. Banh, speaking at a news conference at Phnom Penh International Airport before his departure, told reporters that he plans to inform the ministers and Mr. Hagel about the “real situation” in Cambodia.
“We cannot let some people speak alone. Countries do not listen only to one side. If they want to know the real situation, they will listen to both sides,” he said, without mentioning the opposition CNRP by name.
Gen. Banh has repeatedly promised to defend Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government, along with the Constitution under which it was elected, since July’s disputed national election.
The CNRP, meanwhile, has lobbied the international community to halt aid to Cambodia until an ongoing dispute over July’s election has been settled.
General Nem Sowath, director-general of the Defense Ministry’s foreign affairs and cooperation department, said Gen. Banh’s agenda includes three topics: the U.S.’ political priorities in Asean, including military cooperation; sea border disputes; and regional stability.
“Among the discussions will be the cooperation of Asean’s armies and the U.S. Army in an effort to obtain more experience when it comes to such incidents as disasters,” said Gen. Sowath, who also addressed reporters before Gen. Banh’s departure.
“There will also be a roundtable discussion between the defense ministers and the U.S. defense minister. The ministers will also meet with representatives of civil society organizations,” he added.
Local media outlets reported that Mr. Banh will have a bilateral meeting with Mr. Hagel on the sidelines of the Asean meeting.
However, Sean McIntosh, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, said Monday he did not know if such a meeting would take place.
“I have no specifics on a one-on-one meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Tea Banh and Secretary Hagel,” he said.
Carlyle Thayer, a Southeast Asia expert at the Australian Defense Force Academy, said that the meeting would likely avoid discussions that might upset China.
“I suspect this will be very general and tentative, as Asean doesn’t want to be seen as coming out of this meeting as working with the U.S. against China,” he said.
The meeting comes in the midst of the U.S.’ strategic shift toward Asia, and at a time of strained relations between Cambodia and the U.S.
In January, U.S. President Barack Obama signed a spending bill that suspends some funding to Cambodia until there is an investigation into the national election or until the CNRP ends its boycott of Parliament.
Last year, following criticism from U.S. congressman over the election, Cambodia unilaterally postponed some U.S.-backed military assistance programs.
Gen. Banh last traveled to the U.S. in 2009 to meet then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates about peacekeeping, maritime security and counterterrorism.
4 comments:
Get ah Tia sngor he will be at Hawii,ah Tia sngor was a real killer and Hanoi sympathizer, gets it,sngor ah Tia nis and call SOMLOR MA'JUE TIA-YUON.
MY MESSAGE TO OUR KHMER FRIENDS
IN HAWAII...
Dear friends, Ah BANH TEA will be Hawaii...He's a Khmer killer and young ladies womanizer...Please prepare some stinky egg as many as you can to welcome ah Sharping mouth( MUOTH SRUOCH ) BANH TEA. THANKS
Let's banch a thear york thow ang se.
If opportunity avails let's get this done ASAP.
រដ្ផមន្រ្តីក្រសួងការពារជាតិ អាសា្វទា បាពា់្ញ ខោ្មចងាប់គគោកមិនដាក់ បែរ ជាដាក់ឈោ្មះទាបាញ់ មកកាន់ទ័ពខែ្មរធើ្វឲ្យហិនហោចរលាយអស់ស្រុក ខែ្មរ ឥឡូូូវទៅប្រជំុនៅហាវៃ៉គេនិយាយភាសារអងេ្លសហើយភាគច្រើនជា ភាសារបចេ្ចកទេស តាមើលប្រហែលដូចយកទឹកចាក់លើក្បាលទាអពា្ចឹង ហើយសមនឹងឈោ្មះទាបាញ់នោះផង សូមសា្ដប់មែនទែនក្ដទាបាញ់ ។
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