Prime Minister Hun Sen (right) and outgoing Indonesian ambassador Sudirman Haseng. -SPM
PHNOM PENH (The Phnom Penh Post/Asia News Network): Indonesia has been a major contributor to peace in Cambodia since the 1990s, training lots of local troops, according to Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The premier made the remarks during a Jan 20 meeting with outgoing Indonesian ambassador Sudirman Haseng, in Phnom Penh.
Hun Sen extended his gratitude to Haseng and his colleagues for supporting and enhancing Cambodia-Indonesia relations, as well as to Indonesia for training Cambodian troops, according to a statement posted on the premier’s Facebook page following the meeting.
“The prime minster said Indonesia began to build relations with the late King Father [Norodom Sihanouk], and that relationship has deepened. Indonesia contributed to the pursuit of peace in Cambodia through the Paris Peace Agreements, which has brought peace to Cambodia to this very day,” the statement said.
The “success” of the 2022 Asean summits in Phnom Penh cannot be disconnected from the support of Indonesia and other friendly countries, it stressed, adding that the archipelago nation supports Timor-Leste’s accession into the South-East Asian bloc.
The statement noted that Hun Sen has consistently backed East Timor’s admission into Asean since the country officially applied for full membership in 2011.
