AKP Phnom Penh, March 13, 2026 --

Cambodia and New Zealand have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation following the official visit of Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.E. Prak Sokhonn, to New Zealand from Mar. 12 to 13, 2026.

The visit was made at the invitation of New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, and marked the Cambodian Foreign Minister’s first official trip to the country in his current capacity.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, during the visit, H.E. Prak Sokhonn attended a working breakfast and held a bilateral meeting with Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, where the two sides discussed ways to further enhance cooperation between the two countries and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Strengthening Political and Security Cooperation

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the longstanding friendship between Cambodia and New Zealand. They expressed satisfaction with the continued exchanges of high-level visits and highlighted cooperation between the two countries in addressing transnational crimes and other security challenges.

Expanding Economic and Development Cooperation

The two Ministers welcomed the steady growth in bilateral trade in recent years and acknowledged the strong potential to expand economic cooperation. They encouraged relevant institutions and the private sectors of both countries to increase engagement in business and investment promotion activities.

Cambodia also expressed appreciation for New Zealand’s continued development support, particularly an additional assistance package of NZD 7.5 million to support mine clearance activities in the country.

Education and People-to-People Connectivity

Both sides emphasised the importance of strengthening people-to-people connections as a key pillar of their bilateral relations. H.E. Prak Sokhonn thanked the New Zealand government for its continued support in developing Cambodia’s human resources, including scholarships under the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships, English language training for Cambodian officials, and other professional development programs.

Regional and International Cooperation

The two Ministers also exchanged views on regional and global developments, reaffirming their shared commitment to promoting peace, security, and stability in the region.

H.E. Prak Sokhonn welcomed the elevation of the ASEAN-New Zealand relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership last year and expressed Cambodia’s strong support for further strengthening cooperation between the regional bloc and New Zealand. This includes deeper economic integration through an upgraded ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and its alignment with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Regarding the Cambodia-Thailand border situation, H.E. Prak Sokhonn held in-depth discussions with Rt. Hon. Winston Peters on recent developments and expressed appreciation for New Zealand’s support for a peaceful resolution.

During his stay, the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister also met with members of the Cambodian community and students living and studying in New Zealand, thanking them for their positive contributions to the country’s multicultural society.

At the conclusion of the visit, H.E. Prak Sokhonn expressed his gratitude to the New Zealand government and Rt. Hon. Winston Peters for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation. Both sides expressed confidence that the visit would further strengthen the friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between Cambodia and New Zealand.

By Heng Panha