(VOVworld) - Cambodia has informed the United States that it is canceling their annual joint military exercise this year, even though planning for the event has already begun.
US-Cambodian joint military exercise Angkor Sentinel 2016
(Mary E. Ferguson/U.S. Army photo) |
Defense Ministry spokesman General Chhum Socheath said the Angkor Sentinel exercise must have to be postponed because Cambodian forces will be unable to fully participate as a result of two important events: local elections in June and a six-month campaign to eradicate drug-related crime.
US Embassy spokesman Jay Raman confirmed in an e-mail that the exercises for 2017 and 2018 have been canceled but military exchanges and training programs will not be affected. Last year's exercise was the seventh in the series, which emphasizes humanitarian and peacekeeping operations.