AKP Phnom Penh, July 19, 2025 --

H.E. Gen. Mao Sophan, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and Commander of the Royal Cambodian Army (RCA), has held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido, Commanding General of the Philippine Army (PA), who is on an official visit to Cambodia to attend the closing ceremony of the RCA-PA Joint Training Activities 2025.

During the meeting held on July 18 at the RCA’s headquarters, both sides highly valued the close ties and growing cooperation between the countries, the people and armies of Cambodia and the Philippines, which continue to support and complement each other in addressing regional challenges, according to a RCA’s press release AKP received this evening.

H.E. Gen. Mao Sophan underscored the importance of continuous engagement at all levels, which has played a critical role in deepening mutual understanding and advancing bilateral military cooperation. He also highlighted the successful implementation of the joint training programmes in 2024 and 2025, which have contributed to strengthening operational capacity and served as a concrete example of their strategic and enduring partnership. 

He further expressed his gratitude to the Philippine Army for its ongoing support, particularly in hosting Cambodian troops for training in the Philippines and dispatching instructors to support capacity-building in Cambodia.

H.E. Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido expressed his great honour and sincere appreciation for the warm welcome during his second visit to Cambodia. He expressed his sincere appreciation for the opportunity to pay a courtesy call on Cambodia's senior leadership, particularly Samdech Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate, whom he acknowledged as one of the most esteemed and visionary leaders in the region. 

He further noted that both armies continue to benefit from the Terms of Reference (ToR) signed between the RCA and PA, which were formalised by Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia and former Commander of the RCA, and H.E. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr. then Commanding General of the PA.

H.E. Gen. Mao Sophan and H.E. Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido reaffirmed their commitment to a number of strategic cooperative initiatives focused on human resource development, capacity building, reciprocal exchanges at all level, joint training, and the preparation of future bilateral exercises at both the tactical and operational levels.

AKP