AKP Phnom Penh, June 19, 2026 --

Cambodia and the Russian Federation have reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen and expand bilateral relations across multiple sectors during a high-level meeting between Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet and President Vladimir Putin.

The bilateral talks took place on the evening of June 18 on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit marking the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia relations, held in Kazan, Russian Federation, from June 17-18.

President Vladimir Putin described Cambodia as a long-standing friend and partner, noting that 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Cambodia. He welcomed joint initiatives to commemorate this milestone and expressed satisfaction with the continued progress in bilateral relations, reaffirming Russia’s priority in further developing cooperation with Cambodia.

In response, Prime Minister Hun Manet highlighted that over the past seven decades, Cambodia has consistently valued its traditional friendship and long-standing cooperation with Russia, based on political trust, mutual respect, and shared interests.

The Premier expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the former Soviet Union during Cambodia’s difficult periods, as well as for the continued contributions of the Russian Federation to Cambodia’s socio-economic development.

Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet also noted with satisfaction the steady progress in bilateral relations and reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to further deepening cooperation between the two countries.

Both leaders discussed future directions and initiatives to expand cooperation in key areas, including politics, trade and investment, energy, agriculture, security and defence, education and training, health, tourism, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.

They emphasised the importance of continued high-level exchanges and engagements across executive, legislative, and party frameworks to further strengthen bilateral ties.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Hun Manet also requested Russia’s support for Cambodia’s proposal to establish a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Cambodia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

By C. Nika