Cambodia's "Angkor Sentinel 2010" military exercise ends

A two-week multi-nations' military exercise that began in Cambodia in mid-July ended Friday.

In his speech in Kompong Speu province, about 50 kilometers west of Phnom Penh, Tea Banh, deputy prime minister and minister of national defense said the military exercise was successful and hoped that Cambodia, in the future, will again be a host and home for international military exercises in the form of the peacekeeping operations.

He, meanwhile, reiterated that the exercise was nothing related to threat or show of muscle to any country, but for a purpose of strengthening security and peace in the region.

The military exercise was conducted in two forms of "command post" and "field exercise".

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen presided over the "field exercise" that began on July 17 in Kompong Speu province, while the "command post" was conducted in Phnom Penh was presided over by Gen. Moeng Samphan, vice minister of National Defense.

Delivering speech at the field exercise, Hun Sen said the exercise has "opened a new page to integrate Cambodia into the region and the world and will also strengthen and expand Cambodia' s capacity in supporting peace operation, enhancing multi -lateral cooperation as well as strengthening international relations and regional partnership for the cause of peace and humanity".

Both of the military exercises with official name of "Angkor Sentinel 2010"-- are part of the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) program, the United Nations Peacekeeping framework for strengthening peace and security.

A total of 26 countries and two international organizations, including the United States, France, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, India, Italy, Germany, Japan, Mongolia and Britain, have participated in the Angkor Sentinel that invovled about 1,000 troops.

The previous exercises in GPOI framework were conducted in 2007 in Khaan Quest in Mongolia, in Shanti Doot of Bangladesh in 2008 and Garuda Shield in Indonesia in 2009.

Source: Xinhua