Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet Meets U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander

On the morning of January 26, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet met with Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, at the Peace Palace. The two sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest.

据了解，帕帕罗上将此次对柬埔寨展开正式访问，正值美国海军濒海战斗舰 “辛辛那提”号 停靠 云壤海军基地 Admiral Paparo’s official visit to Cambodia coincided with the port call of the U.S. Navy’s littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati at Ream Naval Base. The visit aims to enhance communication and coordination between the Cambodian and U.S. navies, build mutual trust, and promote more practical and stable bilateral defense cooperation.

According to the schedule, Admiral Paparo was also set to pay a courtesy call on Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Tea Seiha later the same day. He was invited to board the U.S. naval vessel currently docked at Ream Naval Base for related exchanges and reception activities.

Reports noted that prior to 2024, Cambodia and the United States had experienced differences over the upgrade of Ream Naval Base. The U.S. had previously expressed concerns regarding the involvement of other countries in the base’s development, which affected mutual defense trust.

Since 2024, however, bilateral relations have shown clear improvement, with communication mechanisms gradually restored and defense interactions increasing. The return of U.S. naval vessels to Cambodian waters after several years has been widely seen as a sign that military and defense exchanges between the two countries are returning to a more normal footing.