Senate president Hun Sen met with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, during a working visit to Indonesia on May 5.

Hun Sen congratulated Prabowo on his successful election as Indonesia’s new president, while Prabowo referred to Hun Sen as “an experienced statesman who has led the country for many years in Southeast Asia”.

The two sides noted that while Cambodia has food security, it lacks energy security.

Indonesia is prepared to foster cooperation between private companies in the fisheries and energy sectors of both countries.

“Hun Sen stated that Indonesia has recently become a leader in food security and energy security, while Cambodia has food security but lacks energy security. He said that both countries have good cooperation, and he hopes both sides can further promote cooperation in economic exchange, trade, tourism and aviation,” said a post on Hun Sen’s official social media.

Prabowo told the Senate president that in the six months since he assumed the presidency of Indonesia, the country has achieved progress in food security while prioritising energy security, particularly by promoting investment in this sector.

“Indonesia wants Cambodia to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on fisheries, and Indonesia is ready to facilitate cooperation between private companies in the fisheries and energy sectors of both countries,” added the post.

At present, flights to Indonesia are operated solely by AirAsia Cambodia, which flies to Bali. Indonesian companies are studying the possibility of opening flights to Siem Reap, as confirmed by Prabowo.

The two sides also discussed increased cooperation in addressing cross-border crimes, including online scams and drug issues.

In 2024, trade between Cambodia and Indonesia totalled $1.1 billion, a 1.5 per cent increase over the $1.08 billion recorded in 2023, according to the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE).

Of this, Cambodia exported $94.68 million to Indonesia, while receiving $1 billion in imports. This means Cambodia’s trade balance shows a deficit of $913 million. Indonesia is Cambodia’s seventh-largest trading partner, following China, the US, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and Canada.