Marcos to embark on a state visit to Cambodia

Metro Manila, Philippines - President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will go on a state visit to Cambodia on Sept. 7 to 9 to deepen bilateral and regional cooperation, Malacañang said Thursday, Sept. 4.

Marcos and First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos will visit Phnom Penh at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni. They will be welcomed by acting head of state and Senate President Hun Sen and his spouse, Bun Rany Hun Sen, on behalf of the Cambodian monarch.

The visit marks the first time Marcos will set foot in Cambodia as president and comes as the Philippines seeks to expand cooperation with its Southeast Asian neighbor.

Marcos will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Hun Manet on joint efforts to combat transnational crimes, strengthen connectivity, and explore wider cooperation in agriculture, higher education, tourism and cultural exchanges.

The president will also keynote a roundtable with business leaders from both countries to encourage trade diversification and greater market access within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

He is expected to meet with members of the Filipino community in Cambodia, numbering more than 7,000, many of whom work in education and services.

The state visit reciprocates Hun Manet’s official trip to Manila in February. The last Philippine presidential state visit to Cambodia was in 2016.

The Philippines and Cambodia established diplomatic relations on Aug. 20, 1957.