US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) spoke on the phone with Prime Minister Hun Sen about Covid-19 and other issues related to the US-Cambodia relationship. Mike Pompeo via Twitter, Hean Rangsey
Prime Minister Hun Sen and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the Covid-19 pandemic and other issues in a phone conversation on Wednesday, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
It said Hun Sen and Pompeo appreciated each other’s assistance at a time when the world is facing the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pompeo thanked Cambodia for helping the more than 600 US citizens who travelled on the stranded MS Westerdam that was allowed to dock in Preah Sihanouk province in February.
Hun Sen thanked the US for its aid and the cooperation of the experts from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and $2 million in assistance for Cambodia to fight Covid-19. Besides the coronavirus, the conversation also touched on controversial issues.
“With the commitment that the US will support efforts for the health and safety of Cambodians, Pompeo welcomed the Kingdom’s statement on its sovereignty and Cambodia’s support of ASEAN’s security cooperation.
“He also stressed the importance of freedom of expression, although there are different views [of what this entails],” the press release said.
Hun Sen raised the important role of the US in the region and its contribution to reducing the gap between countries in the Lower Mekong region and other ASEAN members. He also appreciated the contribution of Peace Corps Volunteers in Cambodia, the press release said.
The prime minister invited Pompeo to visit Cambodia at a suitable time and expressed his support for US President Donald Trump’s efforts in the fight against Covid-19.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Koy Kuong said he did not have further comment as to what was discussed in the phone conversation.
US Embassy spokesperson Emily Zeeberg said Hun Sen and Pompeo talked at length on the Covid-19 issue and diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Pompeo and Hun Sen acknowledged the longstanding bilateral partnership which is 70 years old this year. In recent decades, the US has provided Cambodia with more than $2 billion in development aid in health, agriculture, education, trade, and many other sectors, she said.
“Secretary Pompeo and Prime Minister Hun Sen also discussed the importance of Cambodia’s sovereignty, as well as ways to strengthen the country’s democratic governance, including the importance of freedom of expression, especially during this time when all voices are needed to fight the pandemic,” Zeeberg said.
Kin Phea, the director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relation Institute, said no matter what the two leaders had discussed, the phone conversation itself was a gesture of good relations.
He said that as far as he knows, Hun Sen and Pompeo had never talked on the phone before.
“This phone conversation is like stretching their hands to each other and it is a positive step in Cambodia-US relations. The two countries should promote their understanding of each other to avoid future misunderstanding,” he said.
He said in recent months, the relations between the two nations was positive, including the exchange of letters between Hun Sen and Trump regarding the US-ASEAN special summit, the docking of the MS Westerdam cruise ship in Preah Sihanouk province, and even the exchange of letters between Hun Sen and Ted Yoho, a Florida congressman who initiated a bill to sanction Cambodia.
“I think it is moving forward and we have to take this opportunity to restore the relationship between the two countries to the next level,” Phea said.
