Phnom Penh, June 1 (AseanAll)  — Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, returned home on the afternoon of May 31 after successfully concluding his three-day state visit to the Republic of India, according to the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Photo source: Cambodian government website

At the invitation of Droupadi Murmu, President of the Republic of India,  Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, paid a State Visit to the Republic of India from 29 to 31 May 2023 to jointly commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the two countries.

Photo source: Cambodian government website

During the visit, Norodom Sihamoni had a Royal Audience with Droupadi Murmu, President, and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India, and accorded separate Royal Audiences to Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President, and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India.

Photo source: Cambodian government website

The King paid floral tributes at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi.  Droupadi Murmu also hosted a State Banquet in honor of the King and his delegation at the Presidential Palace Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Photo source: Cambodian government website

Norodom Sihamoni and the Leaders of India recalled the special affinity between Norodom Sihanouk, Preah Borom Ratanak Kaudh, and Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of India, which have built a solid foundation for the growing cordial relations of friendship and close cooperation between the two countries, deeply rooted in the shared historic, religious, cultural, and linguistic heritages.

Droupadi Murmu and other Leaders of India warmly welcomed the State Visit by Norodom Sihamoni to India as a historic milestone and expressed strong conviction that this visit would elevate the excellent bilateral ties to greater heights and further develop fruitful cooperation between the two friendly countries. The Indian side also noted with satisfaction the exchange of visits and cooperation between the two parliaments.

Photo source: the website of The President of India

Norodom Sihamoni recalled with deep gratitude India’s early recognition and strong support for Cambodia during economic and political turmoil when the country was liberated from the genocidal regime of Pol Pot and the dispatch of her peacekeepers for Cambodia’s peace process in the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) Mission in early 1990s.

Photo source: Cambodian government website

The Cambodian King and the Leaders of India highly valued the flourishing bilateral relations and cooperation which have been constantly nurtured by both leaders and peoples over the past 70 years in many areas of shared interests, including politics, economy, trade, investment, tourism, education, culture, people-to-people connectivity, and defense through regular exchange of visits and close interactions between the leaders and senior officials of the two countries. Norodom Sihamoni  highly appreciated India’s contribution to Cambodia’s socio-economic development through the Line of Credit and grants-in-aid, while the Indian side reaffirmed its continued support for the restoration and conservation of ancient temples and the mine clearance activities in Cambodia as well as other mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in the years to come.

Photo source: Cambodian government website

During the discussion with Norodom Sihamoni ,  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered to conserve the Ramayana murals in the Royal Palace.

Photo source:  Press Information Bureau (PIB) of India

The two sides expressed firm confidence that the solid foundation of their bilateral relations would serve as the steppingstone to further deepen and foster excellent cooperation in all areas of common interests toward a bright and prosperous future of the two countries.

Photo source:  Press Information Bureau (PIB) of India

Apart from the bilateral relations, both sides also expressed mutual support in regional and international fora, including Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, ASEAN and the United Nations. 

The Cambodian King  expressed his gratitude to Droupadi Murmu, Leaders, and the people of India, for the warm welcome and gracious hospitality extended to him and his delegation during their stay in India. He also extended a cordial invitation to President Droupadi Murmu to visit the Kingdom of Cambodia at a mutually convenient time.  Droupadi Murmu accepted the invitation with pleasure and expressed her high appreciation to His Majesty the King of Cambodia.