National Assembly (NA) president Khuon Sudary (right) meets with Pakistani ambassador Zaheeruddin Babar Thaheem at the NA headquarters in Phnom Penh on January 10. NA
Cambodia and Pakistan have urged the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between their parliamentary bodies to foster bilateral cooperation.
Cambodian National Assembly (NA) president Khuon Sudary, during her meeting with Pakistani ambassador Zaheeruddin Babar Thaheem, expressed optimism about the strengthening of ties with the South Asian nation, aiming to serve the interests of peace and development in both regions on a global scale.
Sudary and Thaheem discussed various topics during the meeting at the NA headquarters in Phnom Penh on January 10.
According to a press release, Thaheem commended the July 2023 general election in Cambodia, acknowledging Pakistan’s recognition of the polls as free, fair and non-violent.
He congratulated Sudary on her election to the NA during the seventh legislature, which made her the first woman ever to hold the post.
“In February, our country will conduct parliamentary elections. Following the formation of a new parliament, Pakistan will promote the creation of an MoU on cooperation between the Pakistani parliament and the Cambodian NA,” he said.
“This will aim to comprehensively strengthen and expand cooperation between the two [bodies], both bilaterally and within multilateral frameworks,” he added.
The ambassador also expressed hope that the establishment of a Cambodian embassy in Pakistan would further expand cooperation across all sectors.
He said the Pakistani embassy is collaborating with the Ministry of Commerce and the Council of the Development of Cambodia (CDC) to formulate a trade agreement in the near future.
Sudary emphasised Cambodia’s goal to bolster and broaden cooperation between the two institutions.
“Our cooperation not only serves the interests of peace, stability and development of Cambodia and Pakistan but also contributes to the common good, including maintaining peace and stability in the region and globally,” she added.
She praised the Pakistani NA for its participation in international inter-parliamentary forums dedicated to peace and humanity, noting their consistent presence at meetings and assemblies hosted by Cambodia, such as the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), Asian Student Environment Platform (ASEP) and ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).
Sudary extended thanks to Pakistan for supporting Cambodia’s development and urged the exploration of expanded investment and trade opportunities, including agricultural product recycling, Halal industry development, establishment of direct flights and enhancement of tourism and people-to-people connections.
Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said that the two countries have mutually supported each other in bilateral political and strategic relations on both international and regional stages.
He noted the strong relations between both countries and expressed optimism about the strengthening relationship between their respective parliamentary institutions.
“Signing an MoU is an added value in fostering relations and cooperation, especially since the legislative branch plays a crucial role in implementing the policies of both governments,” he said.
However, he believes that Pakistan’s investment in Cambodia is unlikely to be substantial.
Despite the leaders’ aspirations to establish direct flights for tourism, he said the prospect is less promising due to limited tourist exchange and market demand between the two countries.
