Phnom Penh – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has expressed confidence that the state visit of Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., coupled with his own earlier official visit to Manila, reflects the strong friendship and firm commitment of both governments to elevate Cambodia–Philippines relations.
Speaking during a bilateral meeting at the Peace Palace on Monday, September 8, Samdech Thipadei underscored Cambodia’s high regard for its long-standing ties with the Philippines, built on mutual respect and shared interests. He highlighted that cooperation between the two nations has steadily advanced across multiple areas, including defence and security, trade and investment, economic cooperation, and people-to-people connectivity.
The leaders’ meeting produced tangible results, with the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding on Air Services and Cooperation in Education, as well as an Exchange of Notes on combating transnational crime.
On trade and investment, both sides agreed to pursue concrete initiatives engaging government and private sectors alike. Cambodia signaled its readiness to be a reliable partner in contributing to the Philippines’ food security. Prime Minister Hun Manet also extended appreciation to the Filipino community in Cambodia for their contributions to socio-economic development, while inviting more Filipinos to visit as tourists, investors, and business partners.
In social development and human capital, the two nations committed to enhancing cooperation in education, technical and vocational training, labour welfare, and healthcare—sectors directly improving citizens’ quality of life.
“In the field of defence and security, we will continue strengthening cooperation through capacity building, joint training, and military exchanges,” Hun Manet said, reaffirming a joint commitment to combat transnational crime, especially cyber fraud, through information-sharing and law enforcement cooperation. He also announced that Cambodia will host the 5th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in 2026, a mechanism designed to review progress and shape future directions of the partnership.
At the regional level, Hun Manet reaffirmed Cambodia’s full support for the Philippines as it assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship next year and pledged Cambodia’s readiness to work closely in strengthening ASEAN unity and centrality.
Looking ahead, President Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Hun Manet agreed to further broaden cooperation to drive growth, prosperity, and well-being for the peoples of both nations. Hun Manet also thanked Marcos Jr. for leading a Philippine business delegation to the Cambodia Business Forum, creating new opportunities for private-sector collaboration and innovation.
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