Phnom penh: Cambodia and the Philippines have expressed their appreciation for the ongoing progress in their bilateral relations, with both nations looking forward to further enhancing cooperation across numerous sectors ahead of the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic ties next year.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, this positive assessment was shared during a farewell meeting on July 2 between Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and H.E. Ms. Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo, the outgoing Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Philippines to Cambodia. The meeting marked the conclusion of Ambassador Mayo's diplomatic mission in Cambodia.
During the meeting at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Ambassador Mayo congratulated Cambodia on its achievements in development across all sectors. She expressed satisfaction with the advancement of Cambodia-Philippines relations and appreciated the cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, education, vocational training, agriculture, culture, defense, and security.
The outgoing ambassador commended the Royal Government of Cambodia for its measures to combat online scam operations and highlighted the strong cooperation between the two countries in addressing these issues. She also emphasized the significance of the upcoming 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027 as an opportunity to further strengthen the partnership.
Ambassador Mayo reaffirmed that the ASEAN Observer Team, led by the Philippines, would maintain its mission with transparency and neutrality. In response, Prime Minister Hun Manet praised Ambassador Mayo's contributions to strengthening bilateral ties and noted the potential for further cooperation, particularly in agriculture and tourism.
Samdech Thipadei also acknowledged the Philippines' role as ASEAN Chair in facilitating efforts to address the Cambodia-Thailand border issue and provided an update on recent developments along the border. He reiterated Cambodia's commitment to resolving border issues peacefully, adhering to international law and existing agreements with Thailand.