Cambodia Seeks Increased New Zealand Investment, Hun Sen Eyes Stronger Bilateral Ties

Cambodian Acting Head of State Hun Sen expressed his strong desire to see increased investment from New Zealand into Cambodia during a meeting with the newly appointed Ambassador of New Zealand to the Kingdom, Her Excellency Raylene Siale Tagaloa LIUFALANI. The meeting took place on the afternoon of September 25, 2026, at the Senate's Samdech Techo Hun Sen Hall. During the meeting, Hun Sen, on behalf of the King, welcomed Her Excellency and expressed his pleasure at her appointment, anticipating her contribution to further expanding the relations between Cambodia and New Zealand. Ambassador Liufalani expressed her gratitude to Hun Sen for granting her an audience and for the cordial meeting. She conveyed her satisfaction with the good and progressing relations between Cambodia and New Zealand. The Ambassador highlighted Cambodia's progress, noting that she had visited Cambodia 20 years prior with her husband and was astonished by the rapid development Cambodia has achieved since then, finding it hard to believe such swift progress was possible. She also praised Cambodia's resilience and admired its development. Within the framework of bilateral cooperation, the Ambassador mentioned that New Zealand has consistently assisted Cambodia, particularly in mine clearance and providing scholarships for Cambodian students to study in New Zealand, with approximately 1,000 students having already benefited. On this occasion, the Acting Head of State expressed his satisfaction with the Ambassador's remarks and thanked New Zealand for its past contributions to the Cambodian government and people, especially in human resource development. He also stated that the governments of both countries should jointly study potential areas for further expanding bilateral relations. Hun Sen emphasized trade, economy, and investment as core aspects of the relationship. The Acting Head of State expressed his delight at the increasing, albeit modest, trade volume between Cambodia and New Zealand and reiterated his wish for more New Zealand investors to explore opportunities in Cambodia. By: CHIM NARY ©AKP