The Italian Ambassador to Cambodia, Paolo Dionisi, believes that under the guidance of the new prime minister and his government, the relationship between Cambodia and Italy will continue to grow. He also believes that embassies in both countries will soon be established to solidify those connections.
In an exclusive interview with EAC News, Ambassador Dionisi said he believes that the relationship between Italy and Cambodia will undoubtedly flourish under Prime Minister Hun Manet, and said that Italy would love to be a part of Cambodia’s growth.
“I believe that under the wise guidance of the new prime minister and this government, that this country will definitely grow,” he said. “We would love as Europeans, as Italians, to be part of this growth together.”
Ambassador Dionisi said that he is pleased with the current state of cooperation as well as the trade between the two countries. He is confident that in the coming years, this relationship will continue to grow, and he noted that the new Cambodian government is very focused on strengthening and enhancing trade relations with many countries, particularly Italy.
“First of all, I'm quite happy because in just one year, the trade figures have doubled,” he said. “I'm quite confident that in the coming years this thing is going to grow much more. The new Cambodian government is very focused on strengthening and enhancing the trade relations in many countries, namely with Italy. I remember the fantastic conference the Prime Minister organized last November, gathering [many] chambers of commerce and embassies. We went there and I think this is the right path to follow. So I'm sure that in [the next] few years, relations, especially trade relations, will grow fast.”
The Italian government played a significant role in bringing "Madama Butterfly" to Cambodia this week, a 100-year-old opera composed by Puccini. Ambassador Dionisi described "Madama Butterfly" as an important Asian cultural milestone in history, remarking that it is a beautiful story encompassing culture, love, romanticism, and friendship. He noted that these are virtues shared between Cambodia and Italy.
“Madama Butterfly is in an Asian context and history,” he said. “It's a very nice history where everything is involved: culture, love, romanticism and friendship. So this is the sentiment that ties and bonds Italy to this part of the world and specifically to Cambodia.”
Ambassador Dionisi also discussed the possibility of Cambodia and Italy officially establishing embassies in both countries.
“The Cambodian government iss now partnering with Paris, and is thinking about that,” he said. “We definitely think about that. I think the level of bilateral relations is gaining more and more importance in our foreign policy in respect to foreign policy. So I do see that a number of years [there] would be a possibility to open the two embassies.”
Ambassador Dionisi mentioned that the two prime ministers will meet in the near future, securing even stronger bonds in Asian-European diplomacy. Stay tuned to EAC News for the full interview.
