AKP Phnom Penh, February 26, 2025 --

Samdech Maha Rathsapheathika Thipadei Khuon Sudary, President of the National Assembly, received here on Feb. 26 newly-appointed Indian Ambassador to Cambodia H.E. Vanlalvawna Bawitlung.

In the courtesy meeting, Samdech Khuon Sudary expressed deep appreciation for the ambassador’s mission to Cambodia as underscoring the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

She thanked India for supporting Cambodia in all circumstances — especially after the national liberation on Jan. 7, 1979.

"Over the decades, India has supported Cambodia in peacemaking, peacekeeping, peace building, and nation building,” she said.

“Education, culture, economy are some of the key areas of cooperation.”

Samdech Khuon Sudary emphasised that the two countries had a “shared commitment to further deepening our comprehensive cooperation.

“India’s Act East Policy is crucial to deepening India’s engagement in the region,” she added.

For his part, H.E. Vanlalvawna Bawitlung said Cambodia had undergone "remarkable development and modernisation” over the years, citing that India attaches great importance to Cambodia and the need to further enhance ties.

“Trust and confidence have been built and nurtured. People-to-people exchanges are critical through connectivity such as direct flight connections,” he said.

The ambassador also said he was “ready to take this relationship forward” during his mission.

“Parliamentary ties are critical to our cooperation. Exchange of experiences and best practices between parliamentarians is essential,” he continued.

Samdech Khuon Sudary said people-to-people, heart-to-heart relations are critical to trust and confidence building, highlighting the need to pay more attention and provide resources to specific project cooperation, capacity building and human resource development.

“Amid the rising uncertainty, complexity, and vulnerability of the international system and situation, we need to stay united,” she said. “Our ties are resilient despite international changes.”

At the same time, she also underlined that the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation framework between India, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam needs to deliver more concrete outcomes.

By Chea Vannak