Japan-Cambodia Foreign Ministers' Meeting

On Friday, April 20, Mr. Koichiro Gemba, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia, for approximately 40 minutes from 5:20 p.m. at the Foreign Minister’s office. An overview of the meeting is as follows:

1. General Issues (Bilateral Relations)

Minister Gemba welcomed the active exchanges between the authorities of the two countries and appreciated the stability and progress Cambodia had achieved in the 20 years following the establishment of peace in the country. Moreover, Minister Gemba requested Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong for his cooperation for the success of the Mekong -Japan Summit which would be held on Saturday, April 21.
In response, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong expressed his gratitude for Japan’s cooperation since the peace process of the nation and also stated that he would like to continue to cooperate with Minister Gemba for the further progress of bilateral relations.

2. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Both Ministers confirmed the promotion of cooperation between Japan and Cambodia, the ASEAN chair this year, for Japan-ASEAN relations and the East Asia Summit (EAS).
Regarding Japan-ASEAN relations, Minister Gemba stated that he would like to further strengthen and deepen cooperative relations mainly in fields such as strengthening of connectivity, disaster management, and youth exchanges. In addition, he explained Japan’s policy on regional maritime cooperation.
In response, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong explained Cambodia’s roles and goals as the chair, highly appreciated the cooperative relations between Japan and ASEAN, and stated that Cambodia would like to fulfill its roles as the ASEAN chair.

3. North Korea

Minister Gemba strongly condemned North Korea’s launch of a missile which it called "satellite" as a serious violation of the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions. He also stressed that Japan would continue to urge North Korea to take concrete actions and also stressed Japan’s commitment to the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.
In response, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong shared concerns over the launch of the missile and stated that Cambodia would like to contribute to regional peace and stability as the ASEAN chair.

note The foregoing is a provisional translation. The date indicated above denotes the date of issue of the original press release in Japanese.