Dili, May 9 (AseanAll) — The President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Hun Sen made a three-day official visit to Timor-Leste from May 7th to 9th,2025. The main purpose of the visit is to strengthen ties of friendship, deepen bilateral cooperation between the two countries, and participate in a lecture given by the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta.

Upon arrival in Dili on the afternoon of May 7th, Hun Sen was welcomed by the President of the Republic of Timor-Leste J. Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, along with several members of the Government of Timor-Leste, the Cambodian Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Chun Sovannarith, and the Timorese Ambassador to Phnom Penh, Ermenegildo Kupa Lopes.

The official programme for the visit on May 8th included a bilateral meeting between Hun Sen and the President of the Republic at the Presidential Palace, followed by a formal session at the National Parliament. The President of the Senate was also welcomed by the Prime Minister and members of the 9th Constitutional Government, with whom he discussed issues of mutual interest, particularly the strengthening of political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting with the former Cambodian Head of Government, the Timorese Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the visit, stating that it was an “honour to welcome you back to our country, and we hope that your visit will be meaningful and enjoyable”. He also highlighted the historical ties of friendship between the two countries, adding that Hun Sen is "a long-time friend of Timor-Leste. The close and respectful relationship between our two nations owes much to your leadership and your long-standing commitment to regional solidarity”.

In the National Parliament, Hun Sen said he was “truly pleased to officially visit the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste for the second time”, recalling that “[his] first official visit was in 2016, when [he] was still Prime Minister”.

The Cambodian leader expressed his conviction that “Timor-Leste deserves to become the 11th member of ASEAN”, adding that “Cambodia has fully supported Timor-Leste's full membership in ASEAN from the beginning and has worked hard to promote ASEAN consensus on the Timorese proposal”.

Regarding the regional organisation, Hun Sen emphasised that ASEAN “plays a vital role in promoting peace, fostering a more democratic, rules-based and fairer world order” and that “it can also extend its influence for peace beyond the region”.

He added that he hopes his presentation will provide valuable food for thought and a basis for comparison with Timor-Leste's working mechanisms in ASEAN among the Timorese society.

Timor-Leste and Cambodia established diplomatic relations in 2002, subsequently opening diplomatic missions in Phnom Penh and Dili in the following years. In 2022, while holding the ASEAN chair, Cambodia played a vital role in approving the agreement in principle for Timor-Leste's full membership in the organisation.

Former Prime Minister from 1985 to 2023, Hun Sen is currently the President of the Senate and one of the most influential figures in Cambodian history. Throughout nearly four decades of leadership, he has played a decisive role in rebuilding the country after the Khmer Rouge regime, promoting political stability and integrating Cambodia into ASEAN and the international system. He was one of the signatories of the 1991 Paris Peace Accords and was responsible for implementing the Win-Win Policy, which ended the internal armed conflict and promoted national reconciliation.

On May 9th, Hun Sen was awarded the Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, the highest state honour, in recognition of his contributions to strengthening bilateral relations and continued support for Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN.

On the same day, he participated in the first edition of the 2025 Cycle of Lectures of the Presidency of the Republic, delivering a speech on the theme “Hun Sen's journey: from genocide and poverty to freedom and prosperity”. The session provided a personal and political testimony of special relevance for countries in post-conflict consolidation, such as Timor-Leste.