The King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni concluded his three-day visit to India on 31 May after engaging in a series of bilateral talks to strengthen cooperation on issues like trade, investment, and tourism, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported on Wednesday.
Sihamoni’s visit marked the establishment of 70 years of diplomatic relations between the countries.
Ceremonial Guard of Honour
King Sihamoni began his maiden visit to India on 29 May, which occurred almost 60 years after his father visited India in 1963, and was given a ceremonial welcome by Indian President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. After the welcome, the King visited Raj Ghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
The King was accompanied by the Minister of the Royal Palace, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other senior officials.
High-Level Meetings with President Murmu, PM Modi, VP Dhankhar, and EAM Jaishankar
Sihamoni held a bilateral discussion with President Murmu, wherein they noted the potential for enhancing growth in trade and investment between the two countries. Murmu said India is keen on enhance it defence ties with Cambodia in addition to increasing people-to-people contacts and tourism.
She underlined the significance of the visit, saying that Indians value the “shared history and consider Cambodia as our civilisational sister country.”
The Indian President also appreciated Cambodian PM Hun Sen for his successful participation in the inaugural session of the Voice of Global South Summit held earlier in India. She also lauded Cambodia’s ASEAN Chairmanship for promoting economic prosperity in the region.
During their one-on-one talks, both PM Modi and the Cambodian King resolved to continue cooperation in diverse areas including capacity building. Sihamoni appreciated India’s role in development cooperation and leading the Global South during its G20 Presidency.
Indian Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar also held bilateral talks with the Cambodian King and his 27-member high-level delegation on issues such as capacity building, defence, and parliamentary cooperation. Dhankhar also recalled his visit to Cambodia last year on the occasion of the India-ASEAN and East Asia Summits.
In his meeting with the King, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasised “the strong civilisational bond” between the countries. He also laid emphasis on increasing ties in areas such as demining, heritage conservation, water conservation, and socio-economic projects, among others.
As Cambodia is an important interlocutor and partner for India, King Sihamoni’s visit was particularly significant in light of India’s Look East policy and ASEAN’s role in the region.
King of Cambodia Concludes Historic India Visit Post Talks with PM Modi, President Murmu
Both countries’ leaders reviewed bilateral relations and discussed steps to further strengthen relationships in areas such as defence, tourism, and capacity building.
June 1, 2023
IMAGE SOURCE: TWITTER/@MEA IndiaIndian PM Narendra Modi in talks with the King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni.