National Assembly president Heng Samrin will on Saturday lead a senior delegation to the 28th annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) in Canberra, Australia, said the assembly’s secretary-general Leng Peng Long.
Peng Long said the 28th meeting of the APPF would take place from January 13-15 and that Samrin would be accompanied by Chheang Vun, the chairman of the assembly’s Commission on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Information and Media; and other senior officials.
“Heng Samrin will deliver speeches at the formal opening meeting as he chaired the 27th meeting of the APPF last year when the Cambodian National Assembly hosted it.
“He will also share his experiences from leading and arranging the 27th meeting of the APPF at the executive meeting,” he said.
Peng Long said at the meeting in Australia, Samrin is due to have bilateral meetings with the president of the Australian National Assembly.
He will also have audiences with the presidents of the national assemblies of some other countries to develop and strengthen friendship and cooperation with Cambodian diplomats in order to advance multilateral and bilateral frameworks.
Other delegates would join meetings of the national committees of the APPF such as the committees for politics and security; economics; women parliamentarians; joint declaration; and cooperation.
Peng Long said the senior delegates of the Cambodian National Assembly would return to the Kingdom on January 17.
The APPF was initiated by former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone in 1993. It is aimed at gathering parliamentarians in the Asia Pacific region annually to resolve common problems, and promote peace and sustainable development in the region and globally.
The APPF comprises members of 27 countries. They are Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Republic of Chile, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Colombia, Fiji, the Republic of Indonesia, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Also included are the Lao PDR, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, the US and Vietnam.
Cambodia became an APPF member in 1995 and hosted the 27th meeting in January last year in Siem Reap province.
