PHNOM PENH: National Assembly President Khuon Sodary requested that British Ambassador Dominic Williams continue to support the development of trade between Cambodia and the United Kingdom and to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries' parliaments to be stronger.
Spokesperson for the National Assembly president, Keo Piseth, held a press conference detailing the meeting between the two dignitaries on September 27.
“Diplomatic relations between the National Assembly and the British Parliament can allow us to help each other,” he said. “The Prime Minister said that all members of parliament are diplomats who, in addition to politics, meet investors and partners to promote investment, education, economy, tourism, etc…. The work of parliamentary diplomacy helps to promote political action, economic action, and development of the whole country. Thus, when parliamentary diplomacy is strong, it also helps to reduce conflicts and other potential problems."
The British Ambassador echoed the remarks made by the spokesperson and thanked the Prime Minister, saying that there are many projects that the UK can help Cambodia with in the areas of trade, training human resources, social work, and the environment. He noted that Britain will continue to help Cambodia clear unexploded landmines until 2025.
The President of the National Assembly highlighted the British contribution to improving the lives of Cambodians through social and economic programs, demining the countryside, assisting in the Khmer Rouge tribunal and especially for providing scholarships to Cambodian students and government officials to study in the United Kingdom.
Both the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Ambassador expressed their satisfaction with the progress of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which celebrated its 70th anniversary this year as a testament to the stability of good relation and lasting between the two countries. Last year, the trade volume between Cambodia and the United Kingdom reached nearly $1 billion US.
