AKP Phnom Penh, October 12, 2026 --

Cambodia and Azerbaijan have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral political relations and expanding cooperation across international platforms during talks between Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet and Azerbaijani President H.E. Ilham Aliyev in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday.

Speaking at a joint press conference following their bilateral meeting, H.E. Ilham Aliyev described Cambodia and Azerbaijan as good friends and partners, highlighting their active cooperation and shared commitment to supporting one another on bilateral and multilateral issues.

H.E. Ilham Aliyev said both countries maintain good political relations and cooperate actively within the United Nations and other international frameworks. The leaders also agreed to intensify bilateral contacts and translate their longstanding friendship into more practical cooperation.

The President highlighted the importance of strengthening parliamentary ties, noting that both countries have established parliamentary friendship groups. He also welcomed Cambodia’s support for Azerbaijan’s engagement with the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, describing Southeast Asia as an important region in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy priorities.

For his part, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet echoed the commitment to closer cooperation, saying the two countries had discussed a wide range of issues during his official visit. He stressed that stronger bilateral engagement could also contribute to cooperation on international platforms amid an increasingly complex global situation.

The Cambodian leader noted that three agreements had been signed during the visit, providing a foundation for further engagement in trade, education and other potential areas. Both sides also agreed to establish a joint working group to develop concrete measures to strengthen trade and investment relations.

“I am confident from my visit today on that we can have work together to improve areas such as trade relationship. We agreed to have a framework agreement, which established a joint working group, which will work to implement and agree on the concrete action to improve our trade relationship,” he underlined.

Beyond economic cooperation, the leaders discussed opportunities to enhance collaboration in defence and security, education, transport and connectivity. They also considered the possibility of establishing an air services agreement to facilitate travel and exchanges between the two countries.

H.E. Ilham Aliyev further underscored the importance of international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, identifying peace and security as essential conditions for national development.

Both leaders stressed the value of cooperation in addressing shared challenges, including landmines.

The discussions reflect a mutual interest in deepening political dialogue, strengthening institutional links and expanding cooperation between Cambodia and Azerbaijan.

Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed appreciation for Azerbaijan’s support for Cambodia, particularly through educational scholarships, and conveyed an invitation for H.E. Ilham Aliyev to visit Cambodia in the future.

Both leaders emphasised that the next priority is to turn their agreements and discussions into concrete results that benefit their respective countries and peoples.

By Heng Panha