Senate president Hun Sen has reaffirmed Cambodia’s stance against imposing sanctions on any country, including Russia, which faces international sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Turkish speaker of parliament Numan Kurtulmus on December 12 in Ankara, Turkiye, Hun Sen explained that sanctions not only impact the targeted country but also negatively affect others. Drawing on Cambodia's own past experiences with sanctions, he emphasised that the Kingdom opposes such measures.

“Sanctions are not a means to resolve problems. On the contrary, sanctions, such as those imposed on Russia, have not defeated the country but have instead inflicted suffering on its people and others, including Cambodia, which faces challenges from unilateral sanctions,” he said.

“Let’s put an end to using sanctions as a political tool against one country or another. Sovereignty cannot be traded for assistance or preferential treatment. Sanctions only exacerbate the suffering of the people,” he added.

Hun Sen also highlighted Turkiye’s potentially significant role in helping to end the Russia-Ukraine war, stressing that the conflict could only be resolved through dialogue, not military actions.

He also discussed bilateral trade relations, reminding the assembled media that Cambodia and Turkiye set the target of increasing two-way trade to $1 billion in 2018.

He noted, however, that current trade between the two countries remains at just over $200 million per annum. He encouraged both nations to strengthen economic ties, not only between Cambodia and Turkiye but also between Turkiye and the other members of the ASEAN bloc.

Kurtulmus took to social media to express his nation’s intention to enhance relations with Asian countries. 

He noted that Hun Sen’s visit coincided with the 65th anniversary of bilateral relations, adding that the visit would “contribute to further improving ties and build on recent progress over the past few years”.

Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, believed Hun Sen’s continued emphasis on opposing sanctions aligns with his vision of fostering peace. He noted that the Cambodian leader’s statements are motivated by a desire for global stability and harmony.

Peou suggested that Hun Sen directed his message to Turkiye because it holds moderate power in Europe and is a NATO member, with diplomatic influence that could potentially reduce pressure or sanctions on Russia. This, he suggested, could help pave the way for a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“Cambodia understands the impact of sanctions from its own experience during the 1980s and 1990s when the country was poor and additionally burdened by sanctions. This is why Hun Sen employs parliamentary diplomacy to advocate for world peace,” he explained.

On the same day, Hun Sen also met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, as of this publication, no official statement regarding the meeting had been released.