Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn highlighted Cambodia’s “remarkable progress on democracy” when meeting with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Fontelles, who also serves as vice-president of the European Commission.

Sokhonn met with Borrell on August 4 on the sidelines of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting hosted by Cambodia.

“Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn informed H.E Borrell of the country’s remarkable progress on democracy, especially the recent commune election taking place in early June this year in a free, fair and transparent manner with a more than 80 per cent turnout rate and 17 political parties with candidates running for office,” said the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Sokhonn and Borrell expressed commitment to working together to strengthen bilateral relations between the 27-nation EU bloc and Cambodia. They expressed satisfaction over the steady progress of the cooperation and discussed ways to further enhance mutual understanding so as to further promote trade and investment.

Sokhonn stated that the EU is not just an aid donor to Cambodia but also a good partner politically and economically for the Kingdom. He thanked the EU for its support and assistance for Cambodia’s socio-economic development.

ASEAN and the EU are scheduled to hold the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit to mark the 45th anniversary of the ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations on December 14-15, 2022, in Brussels, Belgium. Prime Minister Hun Sen is planning to be in attendance to chair the summit.