Phnom penh: Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, reaffirmed Cambodia's commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation with Germany during a farewell meeting with outgoing German Ambassador Stefan Messerer.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn congratulated the outgoing diplomat on the completion of his tenure and on being conferred the Royal Order of Sahametrey, Grand Cross (Maha Serey Wathana) in recognition of his contributions to Cambodia-Germany relations. The Deputy Prime Minister appreciated the Ambassador's efforts to advance the longstanding friendship and partnership between the two countries, highlighting his role in facilitating the historic official visit of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Cambodia in 2023, the opening of Germany's Honorary Consulate in Siem Reap, and the appointment of Germany's first military attach© accredited to Cambodia.
He expressed appreciation for Germany's continued support for Cambodia's socio-economic development, particularly in health, culture, education, rural development, poverty reduction, mine clearance, and people-to-people exchanges. Both sides looked forward to celebrating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and Germany in 2027 and discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in priority areas, including trade and investment, education, agriculture, agro-industry, energy, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
They emphasized the importance of promoting high-level exchange visits between the two countries. Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn briefed Ambassador Messerer on recent developments concerning the Cambodia-Thailand border situation. For his part, Ambassador Messerer expressed satisfaction with the open, constructive, and productive dialogue that characterized Cambodia-Germany relations throughout his four-year tenure. He conveyed appreciation to Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn and relevant Cambodian ministries and institutions for their support and cooperation.
Ambassador Messerer reaffirmed Germany's commitment to expanding bilateral relations with Cambodia in areas of mutual benefit. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn reaffirmed his readiness to extend the same support to the incoming German Ambassador, who will assume office soon, with a view to further strengthening bilateral ties and elevating the partnership to new heights.