Phnom Penh (FN), Nov. 7 — Cambodian president of the National Assembly, Khuon Sudary, received a courtesy call from the Indian ambassador to Cambodia, Devyani Uttam Khobragade, on Tuesday morning at the National Assembly.
President Khuon Sudary warmly welcomed the ambassador and acknowledged her significant contributions to enhancing the longstanding bilateral relations between Cambodia and India. She also recalled the historical ties between Cambodia's late king father Norodom Sihanouk and India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who visited Cambodia in 1954 after its independence, laying a strong foundation for the warm and friendly relations rooted in history, culture, and religion.
India has been a steadfast supporter of Cambodia, providing assistance during and after the Khmer Rouge regime, including medical aid, doctors, and demining efforts. President Khuon Sudary shared her experience of visiting India in 1981, where she raised awareness of the devastation caused by the Khmer Rouge regime.
During the meeting, Khuon Sudary expressed her belief that the Indian ambassador's tenure in Cambodia played a crucial role in strengthening bilateral ties. She emphasized that despite the challenges of the ever-changing world, including climate change and geopolitical competition, Cambodia's diplomatic relations with India remain strong and have fostered growth in various sectors, benefiting both nations in terms of the economy, trade, investment, culture, religion, education, national defense, and people-to-people connections.
President Khuon Sudary also expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting between the ambassador and the Cambodian prime minister, Hun Manet, in early October, particularly regarding the agreement to establish direct flights from India to Cambodia. She requested the ambassador's support in attracting more Indian tourists and investors to Cambodia, as well as providing IT training to Cambodian students and National Assembly officials.
Ambassador Devyani Uttam Khobragade expressed her gratitude for the warm reception and reaffirmed India's commitment to supporting Cambodia's development. She pledged to work diligently to encourage more Indian tourists and investors to visit Cambodia, citing their interest in exploring Cambodia's ancient temples with their unique architectural heritage.
Both sides acknowledged the positive developments in the relations between their respective National Assemblies, highlighting mutual support in various inter-parliamentary forums. They also noted the exchange of visits between the leaders of the two parliaments under the AIPA framework in 2022.
Furthermore, the Indian ambassador pledged to enhance cooperation with the National Assembly of Cambodia, especially the Women Parliamentarians Group, by focusing on capacity building and the empowerment of young women and girls. India expressed its commitment to collaborate with Cambodia in areas such as technology, agriculture, education, culture, energy, and the preservation of ancient temples. The ambassador also extended an invitation to the president of the National Assembly to visit India at an appropriate time.
=FRESH NEWS
