(Phnom Penh): Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen received a courtesy call by newly appointed Timorese Ambassador to Cambodia Marcos dos Reis da Costa on Thursday (Aug. 28) at the Senate.

At the beginning, Samdech Techo Hun Sen warmly welcomed and congratulated Ambassador Marcos dos Reis da Costa on his appointment. He noted that the ambassador’s swift arrival in Cambodia following the departure of his predecessor Ermenegildo Kupa Lopes, reflected Timor-Leste’s great attention to Cambodia.

Samdech Techo also expressed his gratitude to the leadership of Timor-Leste, particularly José Ramos-Horta, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, and Maria Fernanda Lay for their warm and gracious hospitality during his visit to Timor-Leste in May this year.

During the meeting, Ambassador Marcos dos Reis da Costa conveyed his profound respect for Samdech Techo and delivered greetings from the top leadership of Timor-Leste. He also forwarded a special message from Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, who highlighted that he still remembered Samdech’s recommendations regarding working with the United Nations. On behalf of the Government and people of Timor-Leste, the ambassador expressed deep gratitude for Samdech’s continued support for Timor-Leste’s bid to become a full member of ASEAN.

The ambassador hailed Samdech Techo as a hero in the eyes of the Timorese leadership and people, and said it was his honor to serve in Cambodia and contribute to strengthening the long-standing friendship between the two nations. He also conveyed a proposal from Maria Fernanda Lay, President of the National Parliament of Timor-Leste, to establish a Cambodia–Timor-Leste Parliamentary Friendship Group.

In response, Samdech Techo Hun Sen thanked the ambassador for the greetings and reiterated his willingness to share Cambodia’s experiences in peacebuilding, particularly its work with UNTAC. He recalled Cambodia’s efforts and experiences in joining ASEAN, noting that while Cambodia joined with an average per capita income of only USD 298, Timor-Leste’s current per capita income of USD 1,453 shows that its membership would not be a burden to ASEAN.

Samdech emphasised that even after stepping down as prime minister, he remains proud of Cambodia’s continued efforts to mobilize support for Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership.

He further stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Cambodia and Timor-Leste, particularly in economic, trade, and investment cooperation, through the Cambodian Embassy in Timor-Leste, in order to deepen ties between the two countries.

Samdech Techo also expressed hope that Timor-Leste will secure greater cooperation after joining ASEAN, reaffirming his commitment to peacebuilding. He recalled Cambodia’s two major goals after achieving full peace: transforming former battlefields into development zones, and turning borders with all neighboring countries into boundaries of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, such as Cambodia’s borders with Viet Nam and Laos.
=FRESH NEWS