(Phnom Penh): On Saturday morning (Nov. 29), Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet received a courtesy call from Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, and his delegation at the Peace Palace.
During the meeting, the New Zealand foreign minister expressed his deep appreciation to Samdech Thipadei for taking the time out of his busy schedule to receive him and his delegation. He praised Cambodia’s remarkable progress and reaffirmed New Zealand’s satisfaction with the excellent bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries. He emphasised that New Zealand remains a long-standing partner of Cambodia and will continue to support, strengthen, and expand bilateral cooperation. He also thanked Cambodia for its support for New Zealand–ASEAN relations, particularly for endorsing the establishment of the “ASEAN–New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” which was officially announced during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia in October 2025.
In response, Samdech Thipadei expressed his pleasure and warm welcome to the minister and his delegation, noting that the visit would further expand the already strong bilateral cooperation. He thanked the Government and people of New Zealand for their long-standing support for Cambodia’s peace process and socio-economic development from the 1990s to the present. He also welcomed the fruitful outcomes of the 3rd Consultations between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs, held in August, and encouraged both sides to continue this mechanism regularly.
Samdech Thipadei expressed confidence that the mechanism would further enhance bilateral cooperation, not only at the governmental level but also through deeper engagement between the private sector and the people of both nations. He further informed the minister that, in support of greater private-sector connectivity, Cambodia has established a representative office of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand to promote investment opportunities and boost trade.
Both sides also discussed strengthening and expanding cooperation in key sectors, including trade, investment, education, agriculture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, as well as promoting collaboration within regional and international frameworks.
Before concluding the meeting, Samdech Thipadei briefed the minister on the current situation regarding the Cambodia–Thailand border issue, reaffirming Cambodia’s commitment to implementing the provisions of the Cambodia–Thailand Joint Declaration signed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He stressed that Cambodia remains committed to resolving border issues peacefully, based on existing bilateral agreements, conventions, treaties, and international law.
=FRESH NEWS
