PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Manet departed with a delegation of the Cambodian government to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum in China on October 16.

Accompanying the Prime Minister were Vice President of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, Sun Chanthol, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sok Chenda Sophea, and additional ministers and leaders of the private sector.

At the Belt and Road Forum, the Prime Minister will deliver a keynote address on "Digital Economy as a Source of New Growth." During the forum, the PM will hold talks with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders to discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation, in addition to separate talks with other foreign dignitaries.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister’s participation will reaffirm Cambodia's support for the Belt and Road Initiative, underscoring Cambodia's commitment to working closely with China to promote high-quality cooperation for common growth, peace and sustainable development in the region and internationally.

The forum will be held from October 17-18 in Beijing under the theme, "High Quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Working Together for Joint Development and Prosperity."

China’s Belt and Road Initiative is a global infrastructure development strategy developed in 2013. The initiative invests in over 150 countries and international organizations with the goal of connecting the world through improved infrastructure that lowers the cost of trade and transport.