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http://interaffairs.ru
Author : Prak Sokhonn
Senior Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia
MAY 13, 2016 is an auspicious date, which marks the
60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between Cambodia and Russia. Despite the
profound and complex changes that have transformed
the world over the past six decades, our ties have stood
the test of time, ties that are based on long-standing
traditions of solid friendship, partnership, mutual trust
and understanding. Throughout the entire period, the
official relations between Phnom Penh and Moscow
were disrupted only once briefly between 1975 and
1979 when the Khmers Rouge regime took power. Apart from this dark moment of our history,
the former Soviet Union has stood by the neutral Cambodia, under the leadership of late King-Fa-
ther Norodom Sihanouk, and offered broad economic support and assistance in the building of
key social infrastructure, such as the Kampuchea-Soviet Hospital and the Institute of Technology
of Cambodia, which remain till our present day.
On the political front, our two countries have cherished and nurtured mutual understanding and
trust.
Cambodia and Russia share similar stances on major international and regional issues and have
maintained good communication and coordination.
In the economic sphere, our bilateral trade has risen substantially over the last decade. While the
trade volume has reached almost USD 50 million in 2014, we still have enormous potentials to ex-
plore further.
Cambodia's status as a Dialogue Partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) provides
another platform for our two countries to strengthen our growing partnership in advancing bilateral
and regional economic development.
As a close friend of Russia, Cambodia has attached great importance to ASEAN-Russia Dialogue
Relations and has been at the forefront a strong proponent of a more dynamic ASEAN-Russia
partnership.
Tourism is another area of fruitful cooperation between our two countries. Despite the far distance.
Cambodia has become one of the popular destinations among Russian tourists.
In conclusion, it is quite clear that over the past six decades Cambodia-Russia traditional friendship
has grown from strength to strength in various fields. I am fully confident that we have the necessary
inspiration drawn from our long history to further advance our friendship and cooperation. Our
joint efforts and close partnership will indeed further consolidate the traditional relationship and
broaden the productive cooperation between the two countries in the years to come.
Cambodia and Russia: Six Decades of Solid and Dynamic Partner-
ship