Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud will visit Cambodia on March 18 in an effort to boost relations and cooperation between the two countries.

According to a March 17 press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Prince Faisal will hold a bilateral meeting with his Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn, during which various aspects of relations and cooperation, as well as regional and international issues of common interest and concerns, will be discussed.

“The visit of Prince Faisal will further expand cooperation between the two kingdoms for the mutual benefit of the two peoples,” said the ministry.

Lim Menghour, deputy director of the Asian Vision Institute’s Mekong Centre for Strategic Studies, said Cambodia’s efforts to strengthen relations with countries in the region and beyond will benefit Cambodia in political and economic fields, among others.

On political front, Cambodia can promote its foreign policy, such as security and stability in the region, he said.

“In the economic sphere, I think strengthening relations with other countries could enable Cambodia to seize opportunities from expanding trade as well as investment from those nations.

“There are also other areas, for example tourism or culture, where we can exchange interests or people by promoting tourism and cultural exchanges,” he told The Post on March 17.