Phnom Penh: H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, engaged in a phone conversation with H.E. Enrique A. Manalo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines, to discuss enhancing Cambodia-Philippines bilateral relations. The discussion, which took place on January 15, focused on various aspects of cooperation between the two nations.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the conversation included preparations for the upcoming official visit of Samdech Thipadei Prime Minister Hun Manet to the Philippines scheduled for next month. Both ministers expressed confidence that this visit would significantly boost bilateral cooperation, particularly in economic sectors. They commended the ongoing efforts by relevant agencies to ensure a successful and substantive outcome from the visit.

The two officials emphasized the importance of high-level exchanges, recalling productive meetings between Samdech Thipadei Prime Minister Hun Manet and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. which took place in September 2023 in Indonesia and are planned for March 2024 in Australia. These meetings are seen as crucial in fostering stronger ties between the two countries.

The press release noted that both foreign ministers reflected on the outcomes of the 4th Meeting of the Cambodia-Philippines Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) held in 2024 in Manila. They expressed satisfaction with the significant progress made in bilateral relations and committed to further strengthening their joint efforts in combating transnational crimes, including human trafficking and cyber scams.

Secretary Manalo expressed gratitude towards Cambodia for its cooperation in addressing a recent surrogacy case involving Filipino nationals. Both foreign ministers are also looking forward to an in-person meeting at the upcoming ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Malaysia.