AKP Phnom Penh, June 19, 2026 -- Cambodia and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have highly valued their strong bilateral cooperation and discussed opportunities to further expand collaboration in key sectors, including tourism and security.

The discussion took place during a meeting between Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and SCO Secretary-General H.E. Nurlan Yermekbayev, on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit marking the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia relations, held in Kazan from June 17-18.

During the meeting, the SCO Secretary-General expressed satisfaction with the close cooperation between the SCO and Cambodia across multiple areas in recent years. He also recalled the deployment of SCO election observers to monitor Cambodia’s elections in 2023.

In response, Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet spoke highly of the positive cooperation between Cambodia and the SCO and conveyed his sincere appreciation for the organisation’s active participation in observing Cambodia’s elections.

Samdech Thipadei noted that the presence of SCO election observers had played an important role in demonstrating the fairness, transparency, credibility, and vibrancy of democracy in Cambodia. In this regard, he expressed confidence that the SCO would continue sending election observation missions for Cambodia’s upcoming commune/Sangkat council elections in 2027 and National Assembly elections in 2028.

The two sides also discussed ways to strengthen and broaden cooperation in tourism and security.

Regarding tourism, H.E. Nurlan Yermekbayev informed the Prime Minister that SCO will host a tourism event in Hainan Province, China, in the near future and intends to invite Cambodia to participate. The event is expected to provide Cambodia with an opportunity to showcase its tourism potential and investment opportunities to senior government representatives, private sector leaders, and international organisations from various countries.

On security cooperation, Prime Minister Hun Manet underscored the importance of close coordination in addressing emerging challenges. In this sense, the SCO has recognised these needs and established specialised mechanisms focused on security issues, including combating transnational crime, human trafficking, and cybercrime.

Both sides agreed that enhanced information exchange and the sharing of experiences would contribute to strengthening cooperation and improving effectiveness in addressing regional and transnational security challenges.

By C. Nika