Phnom Penh: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Cambodia is an important partner in its policy towards the East. This was made during he has a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen via video call on Wednesday afternoon (May 18).

While discussion with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Narendra Modi congratulated Cambodia on its chairmanship of ASEAN in 2022, saying that India's policy towards the East is considering Cambodia as its key partner.

In response, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is chairman of the ASEAN in 2022, emphasized India's Eastward policy is in line with ASEAN policy, which considers India an important strategic partner.

PM Hun Sen also highlighted the successful of fighting against Covid-19. He congratulated India on its success in fighting and managed the Covid-19. PM thanked India for sponsoring the vaccine to Cambodia, considering it an Indian's solidarity with Cambodia, which would enable Cambodia to succeed in the fight against Covid-19.

PM also noted the cooperation between Cambodia and India have done together so far, including politics, economy, education, culture, as well as promoting people-to-people relations between the two countries.

The two countries are also discussing the timing of the King of Cambodia's visit to India.

India's Look East policy is an effort to cultivate broad-based economic and strategic ties with the nations of Southeast Asia to strengthen its position as a regional power and a burden against the strategic influence of the People's Republic of China. Such a policy began in 1991 and was officially announced in 2014 by the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.