The Foreign affairs ministries of Cambodia and the Netherlands held their first Bilateral Consultations, with both sides discussing ways to enhance cooperation in bilateral and multilateral levels in various fields of common interest.

According to a November 26 press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the meeting was held on November 23, in the Hague, the Netherlands. It was co-chaired by Chem Widhya, secretary of state of the Cambodian foreign ministry and Wouter Jurgens, director-general of Asia and Oceania of the Dutch foreign ministry.

The ministry said the two sides engaged in various topics of discussions, ranging from bilateral ties and cooperation to recent developments within the two regions and beyond. 

“Both sides held thorough discussions on ways to enhance cooperation in bilateral and multilateral levels in various fields of common interest of the two countries, aiming at boosting two-way trade, ensure sustainable development and strengthen people-to-people connectivity,” the release said.

Widhya expressed his appreciation to the Netherlands for their development assistance to Cambodia over the years, including in the sectors of health and demining, as well as the training of Cambodian diplomats. 

He said an ASEAN-Netherlands Development Partnership would lead to more practical cooperation activities between ASEAN and the Netherlands.

“The two co-chairs concluded the meeting by expressing their deep satisfaction at their First Bilateral Consultations as an effective and important mechanism that enabled the two countries to further identify new potential areas of cooperation,” the ministry said, confirming that the second Bilateral Consultations will take place in Phnom Penh.