AKP Phnom Penh, June 25, 2025 --  

Cambodia and Kazakhstan have pledged to further strengthen and expand their friendship and cooperation in tourism through enhanced connections and increased people-to-people exchanges.

The commitment was made during a meeting on June 24 at Borei Angkor Hotel in Siem Reap province between H.E. Huot Hak, Minister of Tourism of Cambodia, and H.E. Kanat TUMYSH, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Cambodia, based in Hanoi.

During the meeting, both sides agreed on the importance of friendship and peace in fostering tourism. They acknowledged that peace, harmony, and unity are essential for promoting economic growth and people-to-people connectivity. They expressed satisfaction with the current level of tourism cooperation, noting a steady rise in Kazakh tourist arrivals to Cambodia—reaching approximately 5,000 visitors annually.

H.E. Ambassador TUMYSH took the opportunity to propose an initiative to invite Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate of Cambodia, and Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia, to attend an international conference in the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2026. Cambodia’s top leaders would be invited to share the nation’s valuable experience—particularly its journey toward peace and its efforts to rebuild and develop from post-conflict conditions.

In response, H.E. Huot Hak warmly welcomed the initiative, which acknowledges the value of peace and the long and difficult process of achieving it—especially in today’s fragile global environment marked by conflict and instability.

The two sides also discussed possibilities for expanding cooperation, including the signing of a memorandum of understanding on bilateral tourism cooperation, organising experience-sharing visits between tourism institutions, promoting film tourism, and exploring the feasibility of establishing direct flights between Cambodia and Kazakhstan to boost mutual tourism and facilitate greater people-to-people exchanges.

By Phal Sophanith