Minister of National Defence Tea Banh is set to address this weekend’s Asia Security Summit, where he is expected to discuss “military modernisation and new defense capabilities” with a focus on perspectives and challenges that could be caused by rapid military development in the region.
At the 19th summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, to be held in Singapore on June 10-12, Tea Banh will also discuss how the Kingdom’s new defence capabilities could play a role in balancing regional stability.
According to the ministry’s June 7 press release, Tea Banh will lead a high-level delegation of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) to the summit at the invitation of John Chipman, director-general and chief executive of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The summit will feature seven plenary sessions: the next stage of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy; the management of geopolitical competition in multiple regions; the establishment of new forms of security cooperation; military modernisation and new defence capabilities; China’s vision for regional order; cyber challenges and defence technology advancements; and new ideas for ensuring regional stability.
This summit will also have four sub discussion groups in a special session – one will address climate security and green national defence, and another will discuss the role of nuclear weapons in regional security. Myanmar and ways to address its crisis is also up for discussion, as is maritime security.
As chair of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and related meetings in 2022, Tea Banh will also outline Cambodia’s position on efforts to enhance ASEAN’s role and solidarity in addressing security challenges in accordance with the theme of “Solidarity for Harmonious Security”, according to the press release.
“Apart from attending the above summit, Tea Banh will also hold bilateral meetings with defence ministers of several key countries such as Australia, China, Singapore and the US, as well as receive courtesy calls from key figures, such as the ICRC’s regional director for Asia and the Pacific,” it said, referring to the International Red Cross Committee.
