Japan PM touches down in Cambodia for two-day visit
JAPANESE Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has arrived in Cambodia on a two-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss matters of economic and security cooperation, with the Ukraine and Myanmar crises slated to be on the agenda.
Before touching down in Phnom Penh, Kishida issued a statement saying that this will be his second visit to Cambodia – having first visited in 2014 as the Japanese foreign minister – and that he wished to see the country’s development.
“Cambodia has achieved strong economic development since it attained peace. I would like to take this opportunity to offer my respect to the Cambodian people again for their efforts taken so far [at achieving peace],” he said.
But he noted that, despite the relationship between the two countries “growing deeper in all sectors”, the crises happening “around the world around our countries were becoming more complex”, making reference to Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine and the ongoing Myanmar crisis.
Kishida said his visit to Cambodia has two goals: to strengthen bilateral ties and to improve regional and international relations, including the
Ukraine and Myanmar issues.
Japan has been a longtime ally to Cambodia, providing support to the Kingdom particularly in the demining sector, where it has supplied demining tools and expert assistance. The country has also helped
to facilitate the supply of clean water in Phnom Penh.
Most recently, Japan donated 1.3 million doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to Cambodia and provided a loan of 45 billion yen (over $377 million) to support
the development of Preah Sihanouk Autonomous Port, which has been identified as a pillar for the development of Cambodia.
“I strongly believe that our cooperation has increased the trust between the two
governments,” Kishida said.
“Today … I will discuss in detail with Prime Minister Hun Sen the matter of economic and security cooperation to develop our bilateral