PHNOM PENH: The Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Cambodia, Martin Vávra, has said that King Norodom Sihamoni is the most prominent person to have ever studied in the Czech Republic. His Majesty the King studied in the Czech Republic for 13 years, from 1962 to 1975, where he attended primary school, high school and an academy of performing arts.

In an exclusive sit-down interview with EAC News, Ambassador Vávra shared that he greatly admires King Norodom Sihamoni and said that the King speaks Czech just as good as him.

“If I didn’t look at him [while he was speaking] I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference [between him and a Czech native]," he said. "It’s very refreshing [when] you meet somebody and you can see what talent means, and in his case, [the King] has a talent for languages, its clear and it’s there.”

Ambassador Vávra also elaborated on some of the partnership agreements between the two countries.

“We provide government scholarships for people to study in the Czech Republic, it’s still ongoing," he said.

He added that in 2021, the Czech Republic was engaged in 20 projects with Cambodia.

"I would like also to broaden the scope of our activities here because I believe that both countries deserve more than just development aid," he further elaborated. "Since we live in a materialistic society, we [are], of course, economy and business-minded, [but we] also [focus on] politics. Before Covid, in October 2019, we had a visit from His Excellency Prime Minister Hun Sen to the Czech Republic. We had quite a lot of mutual visits on the level of Deputy Ministers or the State Secretaries [a well]… so this is something we can continue.”

Ambassador Vávra said he is confident that the relationship between Cambodia and the Czech Republic will strengthen even more.

Stay tuned for the full interview with the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Cambodia, here at EAC News.