Phnom Penh (FN), Jul. 5 – German Ambassador to Cambodia Stefan Messerer pledged to support Cambodia's development as he noted the momentum of good growth.
The German ambassador paid a courtesy call on Cambodian Senate President, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, on 4 July 2024 at the Senate.
Samdech Techo congratulated the German government for successfully hosting the European Football Championship and congratulated the German football team on their success in the quarter-finals.
The German ambassador noted that during his two-year tenure in Cambodia, he observed that Cambodia was prosperous, especially Phnom Penh, which was developing rapidly and vigorously.
On this occasion, the ambassador also expressed his appreciation for Cambodia-Germany relations and cooperation, which have steadily developed and strengthened, especially through the exchange of visits and people-to-people exchanges. Over the past two years, more than 17 German delegations have visited Cambodia, including the German president and his spouse. This number exceeded the figures from more than ten years ago.
Ambassador Stefan Messerer also mentioned that in the future, three more German business delegations will visit Cambodia, and he hopes that German direct investment will be further expanded in the kingdom.
The ambassador also briefed Samdech Techo on the opening of the German Consulate in Siem Reap in June, led by an Honorary Consul specializing in trade and tourism. The ambassador believes that the Consulate will help attract Germans and other Europeans to visit Siem Reap, which is rich in cultural heritage.
Stefan Messerer added that he would continue to support the development efforts of the 7th mandate Royal Government in line with the Pentagonal Strategy Phase One.
Regarding bilateral relations, the German ambassador said that Cambodia and Germany have good cooperation in international forums. He also thanked Cambodia for supporting the training of Ukrainian deminers. Germany wants Cambodia to continue to expand this training.
Regarding the demining issue, the ambassador promised to continue working with various organizations on demining so that Cambodia can achieve its goal of becoming mine-free by 2025. In this sense, Germany also continues to support the conservation project of Angkor and the temples, which are rich cultural heritage and represent the longest project in the world.
For his part, Samdech Techo expressed his pleasure in working continuously with the German leadership, especially during the recent meeting with the German president in Brussels, where the two leaders agreed to work together.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen thanked the German government for its continued assistance to Cambodia in socioeconomic development. Samdech Techo said that the exchange of high-level delegations has further enhanced the cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fields of trade, investment, and tourism, where significant progress has been made. Samdech Techo expressed his pride in these achievements.
The Senate president also requested the German ambassador to continue to promote the economy, investment, and human resource development.
Regarding the mines issue, Samdech Techo stated that Cambodia plans to achieve a mine-free status by 2025, and he expressed his hope that Germany will continue to assist the kingdom in demining.
Samdech Techo also thanked the German side for taking care of and helping to maintain Cambodia's temples. As Cambodia has many temples, Samdech Techo called on the German government and other friends to continue to help protect and preserve this ancestral heritage.
On bilateral relations, Samdech Techo asked the German side to push for negotiations to reach a free trade agreement between ASEAN and the European Union.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen expressed his pleasure in promoting German tourism to Cambodia. He believed that the establishment of German Consulate in Siem Reap may also help boost tourism.
