“Bilateral and Multilateral Diplomatic Relations of Cambodia with Major Countries in the Region and in the World and with Major International and Global Organizations”
After many decades in war and isolation, Cambodia has emerged in a new era in international relations after national reconciliation and the establishment of the coalition government by general election in 1993. We have achieved so many achievements during a decade of foreign policy. Cambodia has gained back its legitimacy and prestige in the world arena. Cambodia has official diplomatic relations with many countries in the region and in the world.
Cambodia is now being members of many international organizations and world’s bodies including the United Nations, World Bank, IMF, ADB, ASEAN, ASEM, WTO, and others. Cambodia has been also a member of Centrist Democratic International (Asia Pacific), which is a group of democratic parties of many countries in the world.
The strategic foreign policy of this Royal Government is targeted at lifting the reputation and prestige of the nation on the international stage, increasing Cambodian participation in regional and global affairs, and increasing international assistance in order to promote the development of the economy and the decent and civilized livelihoods of the citizens and to strengthen national defense by seeking to widen bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
The Royal Government holds to a foreign policy that is independent, neutral, and non-aligned and seeks to strengthen friendship and close cooperation with other countries in the region and around the globe regardless of political ideology, based on the principle of equality and non-interference in internal affairs and mutual respect of independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity for mutual benefit and the development of the economy, technology, and science of each country.
The Royal Government is determined to protect the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and neutrality of the Kingdom of Cambodia based on Article 55 of the Constitution and in accordance with the United Nations Charter and other international laws.
The Royal Government supports and firmly holds to the principle of peaceful coexistence in international relation, which is a firm foundation that ensures the protecting and strengthening of peace, stability, security in the region and in the world. At the same time, the Royal Government supports the resolving of disputes in the region as well as in each country through peaceful means. The Royal Government absolutely protests against arms-races and the use of space for military purposes, and its supports the reduction of all kinds of weapon, the non-proliferation of nuclear weapon, chemical weapons, and biological weapons, and stopping the production, trafficking and use of landmines.
In conclusion, the Royal Government of Cambodia tries to strengthen the foreign relations in three types:
1- Bilateral relation with neighboring countries by especially carefully in the building of friendship and closely cooperation by seriously settle the border issues and negotiate by peacefully and definitely avoid the using of force to solve the problems.
2- The bilateral relations and multilateral relations with other countries in the region especially with ASEAN significant contributes to transform Southeast Asia to the peaceful, stable, freedom and neutral cooperation. Even though Cambodia became the member of ASEAN, as the one country in the region, Cambodia still maintain the principles of bilateral relations which raise above. Cambodia strives to be the active member within framework of respect for the fundamental principles of ASEAN as stated in treaties which Cambodia has already signed.
3- Extending the relationship with other countries around the world by respects the principle of non-alliance movement and other principles of international laws. Enhance the diplomatic relations by establish new embassies in other countries align with Cambodia’s economic feasibility and human resource for political, economic, cultural interests.
Although Cambodia has official bilateral and multilateral diplomatic relations with many countries in the region and in the world, and with major international and global organizations, the documentation on these relations serving as aide memoires for Cambodia’s foreign affairs and for academic purpose has not comprehensively done. Filling the gap, the International Relations Institute of Cambodia is conducting a research on Bilateral and Multilateral Diplomatic Relations of the Kingdom of Cambodia with Major Countries in the Region and in the World and with Major International and Global Organizations.
The research covers 22 countries including Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia , Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States, and 8 international and global organizations including United Nations (UN), ASEAN (ASEAN), European Union (EU), World Trade Organization (WTO), Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Labor Organization (ILO) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
The research seeks to examine Cambodian foreign policy from 1993 to present, to document Cambodia’s official bilateral and multilateral diplomatic relations with above-mentioned countries and organizations, and to overview facts and figures about those countries and organizations.