At talks between Cambodian Minister of National Defence General Tea Seiha and Indian Ambassador to Cambodia Vanlalvawna Bawitlung last Monday in Phnom Penh, both countries pledged to strengthen security cooperation.
On top of appointing a defence attaché, India also plans to open a defence office in Cambodia, building on the Cambodia-India Bilateral Army Exercise (Cinbax-I) conducted last year and its ongoing training of personnel for the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.
In February, the Indian Navy’s First Squadron arrived at Sihanoukville Port in Cambodia to strengthen cooperation between the two navies.
Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow at the Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia programme, said India had a strategic interest in balancing China’s influence – especially in the maritime domain – in Southeast Asia.
