PHNOM PENH – High-ranking officials from Cambodia and Japan convened on Thursday to laud the flourishing bilateral cooperation between the two nations, while also addressing the urgent security situation at the Cambodia-Thailand border.
The 3rd Senior Officials’ Talks (SOTs), co-chaired by H.E. Ung Rachana, Secretary of State at Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. NAMAZU Hiroyuki, Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, signaled a deepening of the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”
Economic Co-Creation and Investment
The SOTs meeting focused heavily on the Economic Co-Creation Package launched in May 2025. Both sides pledged to accelerate this initiative to attract more Japanese investment into the Kingdom. This follows the high-profile visit of Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet to Japan earlier this year, which set a new trajectory for bilateral economic relations.
The Border Crisis: A Shared Call for Peace
A critical portion of the dialogue was dedicated to the escalating Cambodia-Thailand border conflict. Both ministries emphasized a unified stance on:
- The immediate cessation of hostilities.
- Prioritizing a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.
- The safe and urgent return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes.
During a courtesy call with H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. NAMAZU Hiroyuki was briefed on Cambodia’s consistent position regarding the conflict, which has intensified since renewed fighting broke out on December 7, 2025.