In a statement released on 05 Apr 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Cambodia announced that His Excellency Bendito Dos Santos Freitas, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, paid an official visit to the country from 03 to 04 April 2025. The visit aimed to promote and strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation between the two nations.
During his visit, Minister Freitas had a meeting with Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia, as well as a bilateral meeting with Deputy Prime Minister PRAK Sokhonn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The discussions covered several areas of cooperation, including regular high-level engagements to maintain the positive momentum of Cambodia-Timor-Leste relations.
Minister Freitas expressed his country’s commitment to enhancing cooperation on the international stage, with a focus on multilateral issues of common interest. He also extended an invitation to Deputy Prime Minister PRAK Sokhonn to visit Timor-Leste, which was accepted with sincere thanks.
The two Ministers concurred on expediting the conclusion of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Cooperation between the Chambers of Commerce of both countries. They agreed to boost tourism exchange between the two nations by concluding the MoU on Tourism in the near future.
Cooperation on food security, banking, and education was also discussed, as well as efforts to enhance coordination on multilateral issues of common interest. Deputy Prime Minister PRAK Sokhonn reaffirmed Cambodia’s strong support for Timor-Leste’s full membership of ASEAN as soon as possible.
Minister Freitas highly appreciated Cambodia’s continued support for Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN and the active role played by Cambodia during its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2022, which led to an agreement in principle among ASEAN Leaders to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th member of the regional organization.
The visit highlighted the importance of bilateral relations between Cambodia and Timor-Leste, as well as their commitment to regional cooperation and multilateral engagement. As ASEAN continues to play a vital role in promoting regional stability and economic growth, the strengthened ties between these two nations are expected to contribute to a more dynamic and prosperous region.
Key Takeaways:
- Cambodia and Timor-Leste have strengthened their bilateral relations through regular high-level engagements.
- The two countries agreed to expeditiously conclude the Memorandum of Agreement on Cooperation between the Chambers of Commerce and boost tourism exchange.
- Cooperation on food security, banking, and education was also discussed.
- Cambodia reaffirmed its support for Timor-Leste’s full membership of ASEAN as soon as possible.
The Significance:
The visit by Minister Bendito Freitas to Cambodia marks an important step in strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations. As regional cooperation continues to play a vital role in promoting stability and economic growth, the strengthened relationships between Cambodia and Timor-Leste are expected to contribute to a more dynamic and prosperous region.