After a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Hun Sen met with nearly 5,000 journalists on the evening of January 14 at Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre in Phnom Penh.

In a January 14 social media post prior to the forum, Hun Sen said that in addition to journalists, senior government officials, capital-provincial governors and government spokespersons also attended the event.

The meeting was open to journalists working in Cambodia for both local and international media outlets without any political considerations or restrictions.

The event this year also coincided with the 38th anniversary of Hun Sen's tenure as prime minister.

Hun Sen’s post noted that when he became prime minister on January 14, 1985, he was at that time the youngest person serving in that office in the world.

“And now I am also the longest-serving prime minister in the world,” he wrote.

He added that over the past 38 years, Cambodia has overcome countless obstacles, but having an experienced leader has brought about the rapid development of the country in all sectors and has raised its profile on the international stage as well.