On September 17, 2025, Khuon Sudary, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia, met with Kara-ool Shalban, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly in Malaysia.
On the occasion, Khuon Sudary reaffirmed the traditional and historic friendship between Cambodia and Russia, expressing profound gratitude for the support that dates back to the former Soviet Union’s assistance in Cambodia’s reconstruction and development after the fall of the Pol Pot regime and continuing to the present day.
She emphasized that 2026 will mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and proposed that Cambodia and Russia further strengthen comprehensive cooperation in investment, trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. She also suggested organizing joint events to celebrate shared achievements and elevate bilateral ties to new heights.
Kara-ool Shalban highly valued the long-standing relations between the two nations, congratulated Cambodia on its positive progress, and thanked the Cambodian side for its continued support in international forums such as ASEAN, AIPA, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). He noted that the two countries have shared experiences in many fields, including electoral processes.
He agreed that the upcoming 70th anniversary is a significant opportunity to deepen ties, pledging to advocate for the establishment of direct flights between Cambodia and Russia to facilitate closer people-to-people connectivity.
Khuon Sudary thanked Russia for continuing to provide scholarships for Cambodian students, noting that many senior officials were educated there, and emphasized that such support contributes to human capital development under the Pentagonal Strategy-Phase I, which prioritizes people as the highest national priority.
Both sides committed to strengthening legislative cooperation between Cambodia and Russia, grounded in mutual trust, respect, support, and understanding, while continuing exchange visits to enhance political, business, youth, and people-to-people ties aimed at boosting economic growth, investment, trade, education, and tourism.
