President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has embarked on his first state visit to Cambodia, aiming to deepen cooperation in education, security, and other key sectors.
Marcos, along with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, arrived in Phnom Penh aboard Presidential Plane PR001 at 3:08 p.m. on Sunday, September 7, for a three-day state visit.
📷: Bongbong Marcos, Facebook
Before departing Manila, the President held a press conference, stressing that his visit came at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni, following the official trip of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to the Philippines last February.
“I will discuss ways to further diversify our cooperation and strengthen our intra-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) relationships and exchanges by capitalizing on our complementary strengths in the face of global economic headwinds,” Marcos said.
He added: “To this end, we will discuss expanding our commercial relations and building more resilient value chains.”
Marcos last visited Cambodia in 2022 for the ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings. This trip, however, marks his first official state visit.
He emphasized that gaining Cambodia’s support is vital, especially with the Philippines set to host the ASEAN Summit in 2026.
The visit also aims to boost joint efforts against human trafficking and other transnational crimes, while strengthening bilateral cooperation in education.