Philippine Ambassador Pledges to Expand Bilateral Cooperation  on

Trade, Culture, Education and Defense

4 March 2021, Phnom Penh – On separate occasions in mid-February to early March, Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia Maria Amelita C. Aquino paid courtesy calls on  Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Hang Chuon Naron, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Tea Banh to discuss further enhancement of  Philippines-Cambodia relations in the fields of commerce, culture, education, and defense.

Ambassador Aquino and Minister Pan Sorasak exchanged views on advancing trade and investment relations, especially post-COVID-19, through building on complementarities in various sectors, such as health care and financial services; organizing and participating in trade exhibitions/fairs; and finding niche markets for MSMEs.

On cultural cooperation, Ambassador Aquino and Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona’s focused on enhancing people-to-people exchanges through the conduct of programs and activities promoting each country's culture, such as joint performances, films, and food fairs.

During Ambassador Aquino’s courtesy call on the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Hang Chuon Naron, the latter cited the important contribution of Filipino teachers in Cambodia in shaping the future of Cambodia through the students. Ambassador Aquino cited the scholarships granted by the Philippines, through DOST,  to Cambodians in the field of engineering and sciences and  highlighted the Philippines as an education destination for Cambodians

In the area of defense cooperation, Ambassador Aquino and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Tea Banh reviewed the progress of the bilateral relations, noting the exchange of visits between defense and military officials of the two countries and the inaugural Joint Defense Cooperation Committee (JDCC) Meeting in 2019 under the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation signed in December 2017.  END