Prime Minister Hun Sen on May 8 met with Teo Chee Hean, Singapore’s Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh during the latter’s official visit to enhance relations between the two countries.
The premier encouraged both sides to examine the possibility of closer cooperation in the energy sector and carbon market, among other areas.
Following the meeting, he took to social media to offer his thanks to the Singaporean government its support of Cambodia’s 2022 chairmanship of ASEAN.
“I appreciated the existing cooperation between the two countries. I also encouraged both sides to look into the possibility of pushing for the implementation of additional agreements or memoranda of understanding [MoUs], especially in the energy sector and carbon market,” said the post.
It said Teo congratulated Hun Sen for the smooth hosting of the ongoing SEA Games, noting that Singapore’s athletes and spectators alike had all received warm, cordial welcomes.
“[Teo] also offered hid appreciation to the prime minister for successfully combating Covid-19 and chairing the ASEAN Summit and related meetings,” it added.
Hun Sen thanked the Singaporean government for sending its athletes to compete in the SEA Games, noting that it made the event more interesting.
The Singaporean embassy announced on May 7 that during his May 6-9 visit, Teo will witness the 32nd SEA Games, in his capacity as an Honorary Life President of the SEA Games Federation Council.
On the same day, the embassy welcomed Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, who was in Cambodia to support Team Singapore at the games.
On May 1, General Mao Sophan, deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Army, and Colonel Pang Lead Shuan, commanding officer of the 2nd Singapore Infantry Brigade, met at the army headquarters in Phnom Penh, where Pang expressed his hopes that Singapore-Cambodia defence ties will be expanded.
Kin Phea, director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, said it is important that both countries remain committed to implementing all of the agreements and MoUs that were signed previously, for the benefit of both countries and peoples.
He also suggested that there was strong potential for both countries to broaden and strengthen their relations and cooperation, including in the fields of trade, tourism, logistics and security.
“Since Singapore is more advanced than Cambodia in general education, information and communications technology [ICT], as well as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics [STEM] education, we could learn a great deal from closer cooperation with them,” he told The Post on May 8.
