Press Releases
Japan-Cambodia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
January 24, 2023
On January 24, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a bilateral meeting and a dinner with H.E. Mr. Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia, during his visit to Japan as a guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- Introduction
Minister Hayashi welcomed the visit of Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Japan and Cambodia and the 50th year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, and the upgrading of the bilateral relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He expressed his willingness to further enhance cooperation with Cambodia in strengthening bilateral relationship and dealing with various regional and international affairs.
In response, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn expressed his gratitude to Japan for its invitation and hospitality, and his willingness to continue to work closely with Minister Hayashi to strengthen bilateral relations and to respond to various regional and international situations, including cooperation in realizing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. - Bilateral relations
- (1) Security Cooperation
Minister Hayashi stated that Japan would like to advance security cooperation through a visit of Mr. YOSHIDA Yoshihide, Chief of Staff of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force in February, and a port call by a vessel of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force to Cambodia scheduled for this spring. In response, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn welcomed the visit and the port call and expressed his willingness to advance security cooperation with Japan especially through politico-military and military-military dialogues between Japan and Cambodia in February. He also expressed Cambodia’s strong support to Japan’s new National Security Strategy. - (2) Bilateral Cooperation
Minister Hayashi stated that Japan will continue to actively cooperate with Cambodia in areas such as demining, the Khmer Rouge Trials, sports and the conservation of cultural heritages. In response, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn expressed his appreciation to Japanese assistance. - (3) Democracy
Minister Hayashi and Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn discussed the situation surrounding democracy toward the General Election in Cambodia.
- Peace Building
Minister Hayashi expressed his respect to Cambodia’s contribution including the dispatching of personnel to the UN PKO missions and highly evaluated the bilateral cooperation in assistance to Ukraine in demining based on the experience of cooperation in demining in Cambodia. He also expressed his willingness to advance such cooperation with third countries. In response, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn stated that Cambodia is willing to share its experience of peace-building with third countries and to continue to work closely with Japan in capacity building for Cambodia’s PKO troops and assistance to third countries - Regional and International Affairs
Minister Hayashi and Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn had a candid discussion about regional issues and agreed to further cooperate in dealing with the regional and international affairs, including North Korea’s nuclear and missile issues and the abductions issue, and situations of the East and South China Seas, Myanmar and Ukraine. They also agreed to work closely to strengthen the ASEAN-Japan relationship on the occasion of the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation .