Ambassador Noy Choumneanh presented his credentials to Asean secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn at a ceremony held at the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta. - Photo: Asean website
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has signalled continuity and growing ambition in its regional diplomacy as ambassador Noy Choumneanh formally began his tenure as Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Cambodia to Asean, underscoring Phnom Penh’s intent to play an active role in shaping the bloc’s long-term direction under Asean Vision 2045.
According to an Asean social media post on Tuesday (Jan 13), ambassador Choumneanh presented his credentials to Asean secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn at a ceremony held at the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta, officially marking the commencement of his mission.
“Secretary-general Kao expressed appreciation for Cambodia’s continued contributions to Asean Community-building,” according to the Asean’s Facebook post Tuesday.
“He commended Cambodia’s role as the Country Coordinator for Asean–US Dialogue Relations and expressed support for Cambodia’s Chairmanship of the Initiative for Asean Integration (IAI) Task Force in 2026,” it added.
Kao highlighted the important role of Cambodia’s Permanent Mission to Asean in supporting the work of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to Asean (CPR).
In a brief remarks exchange following the credential presentation, Kao, who has served as Asean secretary-general since January 2023, stressed that the CPR remains central to advancing Asean Community-building, regional integration, cross-pillar coordination and engagement with external partners.
Choumneanh reaffirmed Cambodia’s strong commitment to Asean, expressing his appreciation for the secretary-general’s leadership in strengthening the effectiveness, responsiveness and relevance of the Asean Secretariat. He commended the Secretariat’s role in ensuring coherence, continuity and the effective implementation of Asean decisions and initiatives.
He further stressed how Cambodia continues to align its national priorities with the Asean Community Vision 2045, pledging to work closely with fellow Asean Member States and the Secretariat to translate the bloc’s shared vision into concrete and meaningful outcomes.
“He further reaffirmed Cambodia’s continued commitment to Asean and its alignment of national priorities with the Asean Community Vision 2045, and continues to work closely with fellow Asean Member States and the Asean Secretariat to translate Asean’s shared vision into concrete and meaningful outcomes,” according to Asean.
Both sides affirmed their commitment to working closely through the CPR and other Asean mechanisms to deepen coordination between Cambodia and Asean, underscoring the importance of stronger institutional cooperation as articulated in Asean 2045: Our Shared Future.
Asean Community Vision 2045 is the bloc’s long-term strategic roadmap adopted by Asean leaders to guide regional cooperation over the next two decades.
It builds on the Asean Community pillars — political-security, economic and socio-cultural — and aims to create a more integrated, resilient, innovative and people-centred Asean by 2045.
The vision emphasises deeper regional integration, stronger institutional capacity, enhanced coordination among Asean bodies, and greater engagement with external partners to ensure the bloc remains relevant amid shifting global and regional dynamics. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
