U.S.-CAMBODIA SECURITY DIALOGUES

UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 000838 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, PM, EAP/RSP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL CB SUBJECT: U.S.-CAMBODIA SECURITY DIALOGUES REF: STATE 112900 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED ¶1. (U) The U.S.-Cambodia military-to-military relationship has expanded significantly in recent years, resulting in enhanced security cooperation. Post's response to reftel's request for information on U.S.-Cambodia security dialogues is below. ¶2. (SBU) The U.S. and Cambodia established an annual Bilateral Defense Dialogue (BDD) in August 2008 with a formal meeting between USPACOM and the Ministry of National Defense (MoND). The last BDD was held in July 2009 and the next meeting is expected to take place in August 2010. There is an informal understanding that these discussions will take place annually, alternating the locations between Cambodia and the U.S. The BDD is a USPACOM-level dialogue focusing on operational topics of mutual concern and coordination of security cooperation activities. The BDD illustrates the broadening and deepening of the military-to-military relationship and is an additional mechanism to further strengthen the U.S.-Cambodia bilateral relationship. ¶3. (SBU) In response to the stronger military-to-military relationship, the U.S. and Cambodia established a Security Cooperation Coordination Group (SCCG) in September 2009. The SCCG was established by an exchange of memorandums between MoND and the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC). SCCG is a liaison/coordination group that meets regularly on operational issues involving Theater Security Cooperation activity implementation. The SCCG establishes designated Liaison Officers in the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) for specific areas of security cooperation and is intended to enable RCAF to reduce bureaucratic obstacles that heretofore have impeded execution of security cooperative activities. ¶4. (SBU) As a result of the September 2009 visit of Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Tea Banh to Washington, D.C., and his meeting with the Secretary of Defense, a Defense Policy Dialogue (DPD) at the Office of the Secretary of Defense-MoND level is currently under negotiation. A Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense will lead the U.S. side at the DPD. The meetings will occur annually, alternating between Cambodia and Washington. Staff officers in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Policy Planning Department within the MoND are currently negotiating the details concerning the mechanics of the meetings. The DPD will focus at the Strategic level and encompass the full range of U.S.- Cambodian military relations, to include regional issues. RODLEY