Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed his satisfaction at working closely with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to further enhance ASEAN-Japan relations, along with Cambodia and Japan marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

In a letter to Kishida regarding the 70th anniversary, Hun Sen said that bilateral relations between Cambodia and Japan have reached a new milestone as evidenced by the recent elevation from strategic partnership to “comprehensive strategic partnership.”

He added that over the past 70 years, Cambodia and Japan have maintained excellent relations and productive cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral frameworks, despite great uncertainty and major challenges faced by the region and the world.

He continued that the Cambodian government and people of Cambodia have always highly valued Japan's crucial contributions to the Kingdom’s development and continued support for Cambodia's peacebuilding and socio-economic development.

The prime minister said he strongly hoped that the comprehensive strategic partnership between both countries will yield even greater benefits to their peoples and nations.

“In recent years, we have witnessed frequent high-level exchanges of visits and engagements, complemented by robust growth of multifaceted cooperation, strong economic relations and close people-to-people contact,” he stated.

Last year marked the 30th anniversary of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces' first United Nations peacekeeping operation, which was their overseas mission in Cambodia, and the two countries agreed to further promote security and defence cooperation.

“As this year also marks the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan friendship and cooperation, I am pleased to work closely with you to convene the ASEAN-Japan commemorative summit and further enhance ASEAN-Japan relations. I also look forward to meeting with you again this year,” Hun Sen wrote.