Cambodian Prime Minister congratulates President U Min Aung Hlaing on election victory, pledges support for Myanmar in ASEAN

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Manet said he was proud of the successful election of President U Min Aung Hlaing and that Cambodia would stand with and support Myanmar within ASEAN.

The Cambodian Prime Minister made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with President U Min Aung Hlaing at the meeting room of the Office of the Council of Ministers (Peace Palace) in Phnom Penh on the afternoon of September 11. President U Min Aung Hlaing is currently in Cambodia on a state-level goodwill visit at the invitation of His Majesty the King of Cambodia.

The Cambodian Prime Minister warmly welcomed the delegation led by President U Min Aung Hlaing, noting that the President had previously visited Cambodia in 2017. He said Myanmar was a trusted country of Cambodia and expressed appreciation for Myanmar’s assistance during Cambodia’s tenure as ASEAN Chair. He also recalled that former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had visited Myanmar when Myanmar served as ASEAN Chair. He expressed his belief that the meeting would further enhance bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and various other sectors.

The Cambodian Prime Minister expressed his pride in Myanmar’s successful holding of the election, the election of U Min Aung Hlaing as President, developments and changes taking place within the country, and efforts toward peace. He said Cambodia would stand with and support Myanmar within ASEAN. He also said both sides agreed to implement the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) as soon as possible and that detailed discussions on bilateral cooperation could be held at the meeting. He added that Cambodia would prepare for its next election in the coming year and hold the election in 2028.

Regarding online gambling, the Cambodian Prime Minister said his country would take measures to address the issue, noting that their countries had been exploited and had faced international accusations. He said Cambodian government officials had cooperated with the international community in combating online scams and had conducted special operations under the direct supervision of the Minister of Interior. He expressed appreciation to Myanmar for sending a delegation to the 2024 meeting on combating online scams held in Cambodia. He added that the two countries were working to further enhance cooperation and had signed agreements on people-to-people relations and the exchange of information.

Regarding bilateral relations, the Cambodian Prime Minister said Cambodia would consistently stand with Myanmar within ASEAN and would support efforts to promote stability and peace in Myanmar. He stressed that Cambodia would not interfere in Myanmar’s internal affairs and understood that Myanmar must pursue its own policies and undertake its own affairs.

In response, President U Min Aung Hlaing expressed his pride at witnessing Cambodia’s economic development and the systematic and modern urban development of Phnom Penh. He extended his special thanks to Cambodia for providing relief supplies and humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar, with humanitarian concern and as a good friend, following the devastating earthquake in Mandalay in 2025. He also expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the Cambodian side for sending a special envoy to his presidential oath-taking ceremony and for sending a congratulatory message on his election as President.

The President also expressed his appreciation for the Cambodian Election Commission’s dispatch of representatives as observers for the first and third phases of Myanmar’s election. He thanked Cambodia for its continued support for Myanmar’s positive developments and firmly stated that, during his tenure as President, he would work to further strengthen and advance cooperation between Cambodia and Myanmar.

The two sides then discussed the progress of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, mutual support at the international level, and opportunities to enhance cooperation in defence and security, trade, manufacturing, investment, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), tourism, religious and cultural affairs, education, and employment.

They also discussed Myanmar’s effective efforts to eliminate online financial scams and online gambling, Cambodia’s efforts to combat such activities, developments taking place within Myanmar, cooperation within ASEAN, and plans to further strengthen cooperation with regional countries in political, economic and social sectors. They also discussed Myanmar’s commitment to valuing its friendly relations with Cambodia and continuing to stand as a reliable and good friend of Cambodia.

The meeting was attended by Union ministers accompanying the President, the Chief Ministers of Mandalay Region and Mon State, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, deputy ministers, the Myanmar Ambassador to Cambodia and officials. The Cambodian Prime Minister was accompanied by senior Cambodian government officials, the Cambodian Ambassador to Myanmar and officials.