PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, have jointly announced their agreement to elevate Cambodia-Japan relations to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the two countries next year. This announcement was made during a bilateral meeting between the two leaders on Saturday, 12 November 2022, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit and related summits.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Hun Sen and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida acknowledged the excellent existing relations between Cambodia and Japan, recalling the two official visits made by the Japanese Prime Minister to Cambodia, and the two official visits made to Japan by Prime Minister Hun Sen just this year alone. Both leaders stressed the importance of the long standing relations between the two countries and expressed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in all fields.
Prime Minister Hun Said said he highly values the major contribution made by Japan to Cambodia's socio-economic development and thanked the country for its assistance with Cambodia's electoral reforms. He also called on his Japanese counterpart to assist Cambodia in reaching its goal of ‘A Mine-Free Cambodia by 2025.’
The Japanese Prime Minister, in turn, praised Prime Minister Hun Sen for his able ASEAN Chairmanship and expressed his full support for Cambodia's initiatives to strengthen ASEAN Centrality and unity to bring about tangible results for the ASEAN community and to address common challenges facing the region.
Both Leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern, such as the war in Ukraine and North Korea's repeated missile and nuclear tests.
After the meeting, the two Prime Ministers presided over the signing ceremony of over US $51 million in grant aid from Japan to Cambodia, and revealed the official logo for the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Cambodia and Japan in 2023.
