February 29, 2024
PHNOM PENH – Following a one-day visit to Malaysia by Prime Minister Hun Manet, Cambodia and the predominantly Muslim nation have agreed to deepen their bilateral collaboration in various sectors.
During the February 27 visit, the two countries also committed to further strengthening their relationship, Manet and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim announced at their joint press conference.
Both leaders are committed to improving cooperation in the areas of security and defence, tourism, technology, digital, finance, halal foods and energy security.
They agreed that the visit has fostered unity between the two countries, noting that the bilateral ties have been positive since the era of the Hun Sen government.
“[Anwar’s] visit to Cambodia in March last year, and my current visit, will deepen the long-lasting relationship between Cambodia and Malaysia,” said Manet.
The premier added that this year marks the 67th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. He described how lately the relationship has been elevated to a new level in terms of economic relations, high-level interactions, people-to-people connections and defence ties.
“Our meeting marked a satisfactory, positive step, and built on last March’s official visit,” he continued.
Both sides were optimistic that their relationship could be further strengthened and would reach an even higher level.
They spoke highly of the results of their previous bilateral cooperation, adding that they exchanged opinions and views on several issues of mutual interest.
The two governments also agreed to examine the possibility of holding a meeting of the Cambodia-Malaysia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in the future and to facilitate sub-marine energy lines between Laos, Cambodia and Singapore through Malaysian waters.
Seng Vanly, a lecturer of international relations and a regional political observer, said Manet’s visit demonstrated the close attention he pays to the Kingdom’s relationship with Malaysia, especially the Ibrahim government. He expected that the two leaders would also strengthen their personal relations.