Phnom penh: H.E. Vong Sauth, the Second Vice President of the National Assembly, engaged in strategic talks with Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister, H.E. Elnur Mammadov, focusing on enhancing bilateral ties and cooperation.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the meeting took place at the National Assembly Palace in Phnom Penh in alignment with the Deputy Minister's role as co-chair of the 4th Cambodia-Azerbaijan Political Consultation Meeting held on Monday and Tuesday. The Second Vice President highlighted the longstanding diplomatic relationship between Cambodia and Azerbaijan, which has flourished over the past 30 years.
The dialogue emphasized the strengthening of bilateral relations, particularly following the significant visit to Azerbaijan in 2024 by Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the former Prime Minister and current President of the Senate. This visit marked a pivotal moment in enhancing collaboration between the two nations at legislative and executive levels.
H.E. Vong Sauth pointed out the exchange of high-level visits and mutual backing in international forums since the visit, alongside agreements and memoranda of understanding aiming to further diplomatic and economic cooperation. He urged both governments to expand their collaboration in political and economic spheres, with a keen focus on investment, trade, tourism, and education to foster mutual benefits.
Deputy Minister Mammadov mentioned that the Political Consultation Meeting would prioritize strengthening collaboration across various fields, including politics, economics, tourism, education, and culture. He disclosed plans to sign a memorandum of understanding to boost tourism cooperation between the two countries. Following his visit to the Angkor temples, he praised Cambodia's allure as a global tourist destination and expressed optimism for increased tourism exchanges.
The Deputy Minister emphasized the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in fortifying bilateral relations and cooperation. He noted the establishment of friendship groups by both parliaments, enhancing mutual support within inter-parliamentary platforms such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), and the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network (NAM-PN).
Deputy Minister Mammadov highlighted shared historical experiences of hardship and conflict between Cambodia and Azerbaijan, along with aligned foreign policy principles, including non-alignment, sovereignty respect, and multilateralism grounded in international law. He expressed gratitude for Cambodia's steadfast support for Azerbaijan and optimism for strengthening economic, trade, and investment ties in the near future.
Concluding the talks, the Second Vice President extended warm regards to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Ali Asadov, and National Assembly Speaker Sahiba Gafarova.