Timor-Leste Deputy Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay – also Minister of Tourism, as well as Economic Affairs – paid an official visit to Cambodia earlier this week, during which he urged closer tourism ties with the Kingdom.

He paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Hun Manet on August 28, with the premier highlighting the historic diplomatic ties the two shared, said a press release from the prime minister’s office.

“Cambodia’s nation building process was a difficult one, and the current situation in Timor-Leste is no different from what Cambodia went through in the past,” said Manet as quoted in the release.

“I hope that I will be able to meet with Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao in Jakarta at the coming ASEAN Summit,” he added.

Kalbuadi Lay also met with Minister of Tourism Sok Soken on the same day, with the two committing to elevating tourism cooperation by expediting the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU), according to Ministry of Tourism press release.

The release explained that among the ideas discussed were potential opportunities to facilitate the ease of travel between the two countries.

During the meeting, Soken announced his readiness to work with Timor-Leste to plan tourism activities and exchanges of officials, in order to enhance cooperation.

Kalbuadi Lay also recalled the significance of a 2016 official visit to his nation by then-Prime Minister Hun Sen, noting that it opened a path to major cooperation in many areas, including tourism.

“The Timorese people are keen to visit Cambodia, and deepening cooperation between our two countries is essential to realising this goal. The signing of an MoU on tourism cooperation will promote cultural and economic exchanges, build stronger people-to-people connections and foster greater mutual benefits and trust between the two our nations,” he said.