NA President Receives Newly Appointed Australian Ambassador

Samdech Moha Rathsapheathika Thipadei Khuon Sudary, President of the National Assembly (NA), received here at the NA Palace on Oct. 8 H.E. Derek Yip, the newly appointed Australian Ambassador to Cambodia. In the meeting, Samdech Khuon Sudary congratulated Ambassador Yip on his new appointment and highlighted the strong bilateral relationship and historical friendship between Cambodia and Australia. The Cambodian NA president noted that their cooperation has yielded remarkable results in areas such as development assistance, healthcare, education, trade, and cultural exchange. Samdech Khuon Sudary emphasised that people-to-people contact and heart-to-heart relations are the foundation for communication between the two countries. She highly appreciated Australia's participation in peacekeeping, especially highlighting the efforts of Mr. John Sanderson, Force Commander of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) during the early 1990s, for playing a pivotal role in actively building pea ce in Cambodia. His leadership and dedication were instrumental in guiding the country through a critical period of transition and stability. Samdech Khuon Sudary also recalled that Australia has been a crucial development partner for Cambodia, providing more than US$ 1.3 billion in development assistance since the early 1990s, stressing that this support was particularly significant during the tough times of the 1990s, when Australia stood by Cambodia while others imposed sanctions. For his part, H.E. Derek Yip acknowledged the special significance of the 1990s peace process for the people of Cambodia. He expressed enthusiasm about Cambodia's progress over the last three decades, noting the country's prosperity, development, and success. Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse