Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that Japan intends to establish new cooperative programmes with Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian people under the “comprehensive strategic partnership”, which was formalised about two months ago.

Kishida made the remarks in a letter to Hun Sen to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Cambodia. Upgrading bilateral relations to “comprehensive strategic partnership” was announced by Kishida and Hun Sen in November 2022.

The letter reads that Cambodia and Japan have maintained a warm friendship for the past 70 years.

Through the cooperation to achieve peace in Cambodia, the rebuilding of the country and the development of Cambodia, the two countries and peoples have built a precious relationship of mutual trust and now with the remarkable development of Cambodia, the potential for cooperation between the two countries is even greater.

“Cooperation on mine clearance assistance to Ukraine took a new form of cooperation between our two countries. Under the ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’, Japan intends to establish new cooperation with the prime minister and the Cambodian people,” Fumio Kishida said.

“I look forward to the people of both countries attending the 70th Anniversary of Japan-Cambodia Friendship celebrations, which will be held throughout the year and witness a profoundly meaningful change,” he added.