For the first time, Cambodia and China are co-hosting “Pure Homeland 2023,” a humanitarian mine action field training exercise within the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus Experts’ Working Group (EWG).
The exercise was kick-started on Sept. 13 at the Training School for Multinational Peacekeeping Forces in Phnom Sruoch district, Kampong Speu province.
General Sem Sovanny, First Vice President of the National Committee and Director General of the National Peacekeeping Centre, and Special Colonel Yang Bin Bin, Deputy Chief of Staff of the 75th Brigade of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, co-chaired the event.
According to General Sem Sovanny, 14 countries joined the humanitarian mine action field training exercise. They are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Laos, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam.
The ten-day exercise presents a good opportunity for participating forces to exchange knowledge and experience and to strengthen solidarity and friendship within ASEAN and beyond.
It will also contribute essentially to Cambodia’s commitment, deeply supported by Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, former Prime Minister and current President of the Supreme Privy Council of His Majesty the King, to achieve landmine-free status in 2025, he added.
