Cambodia: A US navy warship left Cambodia on Tuesday

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: A U.S. navy warship left Cambodia on Tuesday after the first port call by an American military vessel in this Southeast Asian nation in more than three decades.

The USS Gary, a guided missile frigate with 200 officers and crew, received a send-off from Cambodian naval officers as it left Sihanoukville port, 185 kilometers (115 miles) southwest of the capital Phnom Penh, said Khun Borin, a Cambodian deputy naval commander.

During the vessel's four-day stay, U.S. sailors shared techniques for rescue operations with their Cambodian counterparts and the two sides had a chance to play soccer together. The Americans also conducted humanitarian activities, including repairing a local medical clinic and providing checkups for Cambodian villagers.

"The ship's visit has paved the way for the two countries' sailors to get to know each other more closely," Khun Borin said.

Cambodian and U.S. officials have hailed the visit as a sign of the improved relationship between the two countries.

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military heavily bombed suspected communist guerrilla strongholds in Cambodia up until 1974.

Eighteen U.S. soldiers were killed fighting Khmer Rouge forces on Koh Tang, a Cambodian island in the Gulf of Thailand, in May 1975.

The United States halted military assistance to Cambodia following a 1997 coup, in which Hun Sen grabbed full power after ousting his co-premier, Prince Norodom Ranariddh. Hun Sen remains prime minister.