Minister for Asia, Amanda Milling, has completed a two-day visit to Cambodia to build closer ties with the country as it takes over as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2022.
Milling is the first Minister from an ASEAN Dialogue Partner to visit Cambodia since the country took over from Brunei as Chair earlier this month. She is also the first UK Minister to visit the country since the UK secured Dialogue Partner status with ASEAN in 2021.
Minister for Asia Amanda Milling said:
Cambodia will be a vital partner for the UK in 2022 as we seek an ever-closer relationship with our ASEAN friends.
Coming to Phnom Penh as my first visit of the year demonstrates our commitment to boosting ties and working with Cambodia to solve some of the region's biggest challenges from building back better from COVID-19 to resolving the crisis in Myanmar and climate change.
The Minister held talks with senior members of the Cambodian government. She met Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, who is also the new ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar, for a discussion on forging closer cooperation on shared challenges and working together to further UK-ASEAN relations.
Discussions also took place with Minister for Education Hangchuon Naron on improving girls' education and Minister for Environment Samal Say to build on progress made at COP26 in Glasgow.
The Minister also met Dr Sok Touch, President of the Royal Academy of Cambodia and Dr Kin Phea, Director of the Institute of International Relations for a discussion on ASEAN and wider regional issues.
While in Phnom Penh, the Minister hosted a roundtable with human rights organisations, met British businesses working in the country and met opposition politician Kem Sokha.
