PHNOM PENH: In recent days, senior leaders of the Federal Republic of Germany have paid a series of visits to Cambodia, indicating that the relationship between the two countries is growing stronger, particularly after Prime Minister Hun Sen visited and met with German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, in December 2022.

On Wednesday morning, 22 February 2023, the Chairwoman of the German parliament delegation in charge of ASEAN, Gabriele Katzmarek, met with Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh.

During the meeting, Katzmarek praised the Cambodian Prime Minister’s leadership as well as Cambodia's position in the Russia-Ukraine war. For her current visit, she said that she is seeking further cooperation with Cambodia and wishes to promote free trade between Europe and the ASEAN region.

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, Prime Minister Hun Sen affirmed that Cambodia holds a clear position in favor of maintaining world order based on the rule of law. In addition, he welcomed Ms. Katzmarek’s intentions and said that promoting an EU Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN requires the EU to consider the ASEAN community as a whole.

The German delegation’s current visit is the second visit by German leaders to Cambodia in 2023, after President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s three-day official visit to Cambodia from 14-16 February.

The German President’s visit to the Kingdom marked a turning point in the history of traditional relations, friendship and good cooperation between Germany and Cambodia, and pointed to relations further strengthening for the mutual benefit of both the German and Cambodian people.

^{PHOTO: KOK KY}