Tokyo (FN), Feb. 15 – Cambodian army commander lieutenant general Hun Manet paid a courtesy call on Japanese foreign minister Hayashi Yoshimasa to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries.
During the call on Monday (14 Feb), Hayashi said Manet is not just an economic intellect, but also a visionary senior politician.
In response, Manet thanked the people and the government of Japan for their continued support to Cambodia both in the process of seeking peace in the 1980s and peacekeeping missions in the 1990s; and has been actively assisting the kingdom’s post-war development process.
The two leaders also praised the outcomes of bilateral cooperation in the past, especially in the military sector, which has grown steadily since 2013 and the year 2023 will mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Japanese foreign minister expressed Japan's commitment to further provide development assistances to Cambodia and support the kingdom as a strategic partner. Japan also expressed support on Cambodia's democratic process in the upcoming national election in 2023.
Regarding the Myanmar crisis, Hun Manet informed the Japanese foreign minister about Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen’s stance as 2022 ASEAN chair in resolving the Myanmar crisis in the country.
"The roles of the ASEAN chair’s special envoy are in line with the ASEAN Charter and the ASEAN five-point consensus, ASEAN centrality and solidarity," Manet said.
Manet also highlighted Cambodia's initiative to establish a Troika mechanism, comprising of the previous, current and next ASEAN chair, to monitor the ceasefire in Myanmar and the progress of the implementation of the five-point consensus.
In response, the Japanese foreign minister expressed his support for Cambodia's efforts, as a rotating chair of ASEAN 2022, to resolve the Myanmar’s crisis. He also supported Cambodian premier Hun Sen’s initiatives and his arts of global leadership.
Lieutenant general Hun Manet led a delegation to pay visit to Japan from 14-17 February 2022, at the invitation of the Government of Japan.
=FRESH NEWS
