Cambodia, Japan hold demining training for Ukrainian personnel

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Cambodia and Japan held a joint six-day demining training for personnel from the war-hit Ukraine.

According to Japan’s Foreign Ministry, the demining training in Cambodia for the personnel of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine was held in cooperation with Cambodia until Friday.

Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) said the camp for 15 Ukrainian personnel was held at its Mine Action Technical Institute in Kampong Chhnang and the personnel visited demining sites in Battambang and Siem Reap provinces.

The training on demining and unexploded ordnance was supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Cambodia is one of the heavily mined countries in the world. The CMAC estimates that 2,000 square kilometers (772 square miles) of land is contaminated with a combination of explosive weapons dropped during US aerial bombardments of the country and mines laid in the late 1970s and 1980s, particularly in what is known as the K5 mine belt that borders Thailand and Laos.

Japan has been cooperating with Cambodia in demining for more than 20 years.

Last year in November, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a phone call that his government was ready to dispatch de-miners to war-torn Ukraine.

Russia launched a war on Ukraine last February resulting in deaths and injuries to thousands while millions of others were displaced.

The Southeast Asian nation has extracted over 72,000 mines since 2018, clearing 66% of its targeted 641 kilometers (398 miles) of land.