Elchin Amirbayov visits Cambodia, holds series of meetings

Azerbaijan"s Presidential Representative for Special Assignments, Elchin Amirbayov, has paid a working visit to Cambodia.

According to SİA, during the visit he held meetings with Acting Head of State and President of the Cambodian Senate Hun Sen, Prime Minister Hun Manet, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn, and President of the National Assembly Khuon Sodary.

Meetings were also held with Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth, Chairman of the Foreign Relations, International Cooperation and Information Commission of Cambodia's National Assembly Sous Yara, President of the National Institute of Diplomacy and International Relations Chheang Vicheth, as well as Executive Director of the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) Rothna Bout.

During the meeting with Acting Head of State Hun Sen, the Cambodian official warmly recalled his 2014 visit to Azerbaijan as prime minister and asked that his sincere greetings be conveyed to President Ilham Aliyev. He described Azerbaijan as a close friend of Cambodia and noted his readiness to revisit the country at the earliest opportunity. Hun Sen stressed the importance of deepening practical cooperation with Azerbaijan in various fields and described the country as a reliable partner.

At the meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet, Elchin Amirbayov presented a letter from President Ilham Aliyev inviting the Cambodian premier to attend the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), which will be hosted by Azerbaijan in Baku in October. Cambodia's prime minister welcomed the invitation and expressed his intention to participate in the event.

The sides held an extensive exchange of views on the current state and future prospects of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Cambodia. They emphasized the importance of intensifying political dialogue, increasing high-level mutual visits, further deepening active interparliamentary ties, and expanding cooperation within international organizations.

The meetings also focused on boosting trade and economic relations, strengthening the legal framework between the two countries, promoting investment opportunities, and expanding cooperation in energy, transport, agriculture, tourism, education, environment, and other areas of mutual interest. In this context, the Cambodian side highlighted Azerbaijan"s important role in ensuring global energy security and its position as a key transport and logistics hub linking Asia and Europe, expressing interest in close cooperation in these fields.

Cambodian officials praised Azerbaijan's significant political and socio-economic achievements in recent years, as well as its growing regional and international role. They also noted their interest in developing effective and mutually beneficial cooperation with Azerbaijan both bilaterally and within international organizations.

During the talks, Elchin Amirbayov briefed the Cambodian side on the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the agreements reached in Washington last year, and the next steps and expectations toward achieving lasting peace. He noted that the results of the parliamentary elections due to be held in Armenia next month, as well as the subsequent referendum on the adoption of a new constitution, would play a decisive role in the signing of a peace agreement and ensuring long-term and irreversible peace in the region.

The Cambodian side expressed support for Azerbaijan's peace agenda and the important steps being taken to achieve sustainable and irreversible peace, voicing hope that the necessary conditions for signing a peace agreement would soon be fulfilled.

The presidential representative also provided detailed information on the large-scale restoration and reconstruction efforts in the liberated territories, as well as Azerbaijan's targeted measures to combat the mine threat. He stressed the importance of international cooperation in mine clearance efforts.

In this context, Amirbayov informed the Cambodian side about the 4th International Humanitarian Mine Action Conference to be held in Baku this autumn, highlighting the event"s importance for strengthening international cooperation against the mine threat. He expressed hope that Cambodia, which has extensive experience in mine clearance, would actively participate in the conference.

As part of the visit, Elchin Amirbayov also addressed a meeting at Cambodia's National Institute of Diplomacy and International Relations, where he exchanged views on the prospects for Azerbaijan-Cambodia relations, regional cooperation, and international security issues. He also gave an interview to Cambodia's leading state television channel, TVK.

As known, Cambodia will host the next summit of heads of state and government of the member states of the International Organization of La Francophonie in November this year.