Cambodia, Germany Vow to Deepen Bilateral Ties, Expand Cooperation

AKP Phnom Penh, July 31, 2026 -- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation with Germany during a farewell meeting with outgoing German Ambassador Stefan MESSERER on Wednesday. On the occasion, 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 outstanding contributions to Cambodia-Germany relations. The Deputy Prime Minister highly appreciated the Ambassador’s dedicated efforts to advancing the longstanding friendship and partnership between the two countries. He highlighted the Ambassador’s role in facilitating the historic official visit of German President H.E. 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 attaché accredited to Cambodia. He also expressed appreciation for Germany’s continued support for Cambodia’s socio-economic development, particularly in the fields of health, culture, education, rural development, poverty reduction, mine clearance and people-to-people exchanges. Both sides looked forward to the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and Germany in 2027 and discussed ways to further expand bilateral cooperation in priority areas, including trade and investment, education, agriculture, agro-industry, energy, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. They also underscored 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 deep satisfaction with the open, constructive and productive dialogue that characterised Cambodia-Germany relations throughout his four-year tenure. He conveyed his sincere appreciation to Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn and relevant Cambodian ministries and institutions for their unwavering support and excellent cooperation. Ambassador Messerer reaffirmed Germany’s strong commitment to expanding bilateral relations with Cambodia in areas of mutual benefit. Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, meanwhile, 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. By C. Nika