Source: AKP
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN this year, Japanese Prime Minister H.E. Shinzo Abe sent a congratulatory message to the people of Cambodia and ASEAN.
“The fact that the people of ASEAN including Cambodia have overcome various differences while developing into a Community and establishing its current position in the international community is indeed a historic achievement. We Japanese whom deepened friendship and cooperation in wide range of field with the people of ASEAN to date share both the hardship and the joy of the past 50 years,” said H.E. Shinzo Abe in his message forwarded by the Japanese Embassy in Phnom Penh.
“As a friend of ASEAN, I have visited all of the ASEAN countries. I visited Cambodia in November 2013, and witnessed young people’s energy and the potential for development. A large number of Japanese citizens visit Cambodia every year, and investments from Japanese companies are also increasing. The number of visitors from Cambodia to Japan is also rising, and this year Cambodia football player Chan Vathanaka transferred to J3 League football club Fujieda MYFC. I met with Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday in Tokyo and agreed to expand the scope of such exchange,” he underlined.
Japan and ASEAN have now become indispensable “Strategic Partner” for peace and prosperity, said the Japanese premier, adding, “I am convinced that Japan-ASEAN relations in the next 50 years would be bright if we could continue to cooperate while firmly upholding common values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Let’s forge the future of Asia and the world together hand in hand.”
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen is currently on an official working visit in Japan, from Aug. 6 to 9.