Cambodian Parliament Speaker Meets Japanese Ambassador, Praises Concrete Outcomes of Enduring Bilateral Ties

Khuon Sodary, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia, met with Ueno Atsushi, the Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia, who is nearing the end of his diplomatic mission, at the National Assembly building on the morning of Friday, July 3, 2026. President Sodary highly praised the achievements of Ambassador Ueno's three-year diplomatic tenure, stating that it has significantly contributed to promoting cooperation in all aspects of the strategic partnership between the two countries, particularly in diplomacy, people-to-people ties, trade, tourism, humanitarian assistance, and culture. President Sodary described Japan as a "trustworthy and sincere friend" of Cambodia and noted that the bilateral relationship is celebrating its 73rd anniversary. She emphasized that Cambodian citizens have deep affection for the Japanese people and will always remember Japan's contributions to Cambodia's peacebuilding, especially the sacrifice of two young Japanese soldiers who perished in Cambodia during UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia) operations in 1993. Japan's support for Cambodia in various sectors, including demining, human resource development, agriculture, and trade, has yielded tangible results for the Cambodian people. Bilateral trade in 2025 reached over 2.6 billion US dollars, and Japanese investment in Cambodia from 1994 to 2025 totals 2.9 billion US dollars. Furthermore, Japan has provided scholarships to approximately 17,000 Cambodian students and accepted nearly 70,000 Cambodian workers, who have gained high incomes and technical skills to contribute to Cambodia's development. Ambassador Ueno expressed his profound gratitude to President Sodary for the meeting and stated that the success of his diplomatic mission was due to the close cooperation of the National Assembly and the Cambodian government. He highlighted the similarity between President Sodary, Cambodia's first female parliamentary speaker, and Japan, which has had its first female prime minister, and underscored the close relationship and mutual trust between the leaders and citizens of both countries. The Ambassador mentioned that during his tenure in Cambodia, he received a very warm welcome from the Cambodian people across all provinces and cities. Both sides engaged in close discussions on political, social, and economic matters, with a particular focus on strengthening parliamentary relations. Cambodia highly values and supports Japan's "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)" strategy, which aligns with ASEAN's strategy and the "Pentagon Strategy - Phase 1" of the current Cambodian government under Prime Minister Hun Manet. President Sodary reiterated that Cambodia always supports strategies that promote peace, prosperity, and sustainable development. She expressed hope that institutional relations between the parliaments will become even stronger and more active in the tenure of the new Japanese ambassador. Additionally, she requested Japan's support for training in information technology for the Secretariat of the National Assembly, as the parliament is currently modernizing into a digital parliament. Source: CPP Cambodia