PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has praised the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia, DPM Prak Sokhonn, and other officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for making the joint declaration of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting possible, in a time when the region and the world was facing many challenges.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony for students of the University of Puthisastra on Wednesday morning, 17 August, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and related meetings involving ministers and senior officials from many countries, including China, Russia and the United States, happened at a time of the Ukraine crisis, heightened tensions in and around Taiwan and many other problems, making it so that it was difficult to arrange the chairs for the foreign officials during the meetings.

“The visit of the U.S. House Speaker to Taiwan shook the sky, but in the end, it was due to Cambodia’s ability to mediate," said the Prime Minister. "Like I said at the Royal University of Phnom Penh on the 5th [of August], even preparing chairs for the guests was difficult, but on the contrary, when we entered the meeting, everyone shook hands and talked to each other, contributing to the success of our meeting.”

The Prime Minister thanked the representatives of friendly countries who came to Cambodia to partake in the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and related meetings, including countries that came to sign on to an agreement with ASEAN. He said the success of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings is fundamental to the success of the ASEAN Summit in November, including the meetings of the G20 and APEC.

The 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings was held from 31 July to 6 August. Thirty-nine countries were invited by Cambodia to attend the meeting, including 27 delegates from the ASEAN Regional Forum and 12 ASEAN guest delegations.