PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has thanked Australia for its continuous assistance provided to Cambodia, especially during the fight against Covid-19 and its assistance to Cambodia's agricultural sector.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while receiving the new Australian Ambassador to Cambodia, Justin Whyatt, at the Peace Palace on Monday, 13 March 2023.

Prime Minister Hun Sen stated that Australia’s contribution to the Cambodian agricultural sector through the establishment of the Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) helped to develop the strain of Cambodian jasmine rice that was ranked No. 1 in the world.

At last year’s World Rice Conference in Phuket, Thailand on 17 November 2022, ‘Phka Rumduol’ Jasmine rice was selected as the best rice in the world, marking the fifth time Cambodian rice has won this award.

Phka Rumduol had already won the best rice award four times, winning for three consecutive years from 2012 to 2014, and then once more in 2018.

During the meeting, Australian Ambassador, Justin Whyatt, said he was pleased to be assigned as the new Australian ambassador to Cambodia and expressed his commitment to strengthening relations with Cambodia in nine priority areas, including people-to-people contacts, further investments in agricultural development, the health sector, demining, social affairs, democracy and human rights, national defense and the prevention of transnational crime.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, in turn, also extended his thanks to the government and people of Australia for assisting Cambodia in preventing and combating Covid-19, as well as in demining work and promoting cooperation in agriculture, overall investments and other fields.