The new US ambassador to Cambodia said he will "advocate for reconciliation, adherence to the principles enshrined in the Cambodian Constitution and efforts to protect the country’s sovereignty".

W Patrick Murphy, currently the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, was confirmed by the US Senate on Thursday as the next ambassador to Cambodia.

“If confirmed, I will advocate for reconciliation, adherence to the principles enshrined in Cambodia’s Constitution and efforts to protect the country’s sovereignty,” Murphy said.

He said he would "like to grow connections between Pueblo and Phnom Penh and Boston and Battambang by increasing the International Visitor Leadership Programme and other exchanges and sustaining the Peace Corps programme through which hundreds of Americans have contributed to Cambodia’s development and mutual understanding".

The confirmation comes a year after US President Donald Trump approved his nomination.