Cambodia and Japan have noted with satisfaction their growing relations of friendship and cooperation and concurred that the year 2023 will be an important juncture for celebration as it marks the 70th anniversary of formal ties between the two nations.
The remarks were made by H.E. Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia, and H.E. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan during their cordial telephone conversation on Nov. 18, according to a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation AKP received this evening.
In renewing his congratulations on H.E. HAYASHI Yoshimasa appointment, H.E. Prak Sokhonn recalled Japan’s important contribution to Cambodia’s peace and reconstruction.
He expressed gratitude to Japan for continuing to assist Cambodia’s socio-economic development and providing support for Cambodia’s effort to respond to Covid-19 pandemic, including through the provision of medical equipment and vaccines.
The two Foreign Ministers exchanged views on various fields of bilateral cooperation, including the development of Sihanoukville seaport, facilitation of trade and economic exchanges and reinvigoration of people-to-people connectivity following the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions.
In the area of political-security, H.E. HAYASHI Yoshimasa commended Cambodia’s contribution to international peacekeeping and pledged to further support Cambodia in this endeavor. H.E. Prak Sokhonn thanked Japan for providing capacity building support to Cambodian peacekeepers and agreed with H.E. HAYASHI Yoshimasa that the two countries should resume exchange of visits and further expand cooperation, particularly in peacekeeping. They expressed satisfaction with the ongoing high-level and active consultations between the two foreign ministries on bilateral cooperation, including on the promotion of human rights in Cambodia.
Apart from bilateral relations, the two Foreign Ministers also shared aspiration to strengthen cooperation under multilateral frameworks. H.E. Prak Sokhonn expressed appreciation for Japanese assistance and commitment to the success of Cambodia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2022. He reiterated full support for the convening of a special ASEAN-Japan Summit to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Japan dialogue relations in 2023, in Japan. H.E. Prak Sokhonn and H.E. HAYASHI Yoshimasa discussed at length on the situation in Myanmar and shared the view that ASEAN has an important role to assist Myanmar in finding peaceful approach to the resolve the crisis, and that the Five-point Consensus agreed at the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting on 24 April 2021 should be fully implemented without further delay.
In closing the conversation, H.E. HAYASHI Yoshimasa wished a great success to Cambodia in hosting the 13th ASEM Summit on 25-26 November 2021 and in steering ASEAN process in 2022.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press