PHNOM PENH, June 19, 2024 – Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia concluded a productive two-day official visit to the Republic of Singapore from June 18 to 19, 2024. Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their long-standing relations and enhancing cooperation across various sectors.
Prime Minister Hun Manet paid a courtesy call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam of Singapore, followed by a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. He also met with Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, former Prime Minister of Singapore. The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including political-security, defense, trade and investment, finance, food and energy security, climate change, tourism, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), digitalization, and people-to-people exchanges.
The leaders recalled the historic friendship between the late King-Father of Cambodia and the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, as both nations look forward to celebrating the 60th anniversary of Cambodia-Singapore diplomatic relations next year.
Singaporean leaders also conveyed their best wishes to Cambodia on the occasion of Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk’s birthday on June 18.To further enhance bilateral cooperation, Prime Minister Hun Manet and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong agreed to convene the 2nd Political Consultation between their Foreign Ministries at the earliest opportunity. They committed to strengthening cooperation in combating transnational crimes such as cyber scams, misinformation, and drug trafficking, and anticipated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bolster collaborative efforts in these areas.
The leaders also agreed on the importance of frequent exchanges between defense officials and sharing information, experiences, and best practices.Regarding trade and investment, both Prime Ministers noted Singapore's status as one of the largest investors in Cambodia and highlighted the complementary nature of their economies.
They encouraged relevant public and private entities from both countries to identify potential areas for win-win cooperation, particularly in food production and supply.In terms of people-to-people exchanges, the leaders expressed satisfaction with the increase to 50 direct flights per week and the growing number of travelers between Cambodia and Singapore.
They agreed on the need to further promote tourism, including attracting visitors from third countries. Prime Minister Wong pledged to offer more customized capacity-building support to Cambodia, including training of trainers in TVET, which was greatly appreciated by Prime Minister Hun Manet.On energy and climate change, the Prime Ministers applauded the successful first working group meeting, co-chaired by the Energy Ministers of Cambodia, Singapore, and Laos on May 29, 2024, aimed at facilitating cross-border electricity trade.
They expressed a shared commitment to leverage this project to advance the ASEAN Power Grid. Additionally, they welcomed progress on carbon credit cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and looked forward to the signing of the implementation agreement soon.Both leaders emphasized the growing importance of ICT and digital technology cooperation.
They witnessed the launch of the Financial Transparency Corridor initiative by the National Bank of Cambodia and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, designed to support digital infrastructure for trade and financial access for SMEs in both countries.
They also welcomed the signing of an MoU on Cooperation in Digital Government between their respective ministries.The Prime Ministers exchanged views on major regional and international issues, agreeing on the importance of maintaining ASEAN unity and centrality for regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
They committed to working closely together to navigate geopolitical complexities and expedite the conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.
Prime Minister Hun Manet also addressed the Cambodia-Singapore Business Forum, encouraging around 500 participants to explore business opportunities and joint investments in Cambodia. He visited Nanyang Polytechnic, the Centre of Innovation for Electronics & Internet of Things, and Keppel's Infrastructure@Changi building. Additionally, a new orchid hybrid, "Vanchoanthe Hun Manet," was named in his honor at the National Orchid Garden.
Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed his deep appreciation to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for the warm hospitality extended to the Cambodian delegation and invited him to pay an official visit to Cambodia, an invitation which Prime Minister Wong accepted with pleasure.
