Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) P Kumaran met with Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prak Sokhonn, to explore ways to boost collaboration between the two countries. The discussions centered on enhancing cooperation across various sectors. Additionally, Kumaran also engaged with Cambodia’s Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, Phoeurng Sackona, focusing on heritage conservation projects and cultural cooperation initiatives.
During his visit, Kumaran toured the Ta Prohm Temple and the Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia. At Ta Prohm Temple, where the Archaeological Survey of India is leading restoration efforts, two phases have been completed successfully, with the third phase currently in progress. The Angkor Wat Temple, a significant ancient temple complex in Cambodia and a shared heritage of India and Cambodia, was also visited by Kumaran. India was the first country to provide support for the restoration of this temple complex from 1986 to 1993.
Furthermore, Kumaran visited the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Asian Traditional Textile Museum in Siem Reap, which is the first museum in Cambodia dedicated to showcasing rich textile traditions from the Mekong-Ganga region, emphasizing shared cultural heritage. In a separate meeting, Kumaran discussed expanding cooperation in trade, investments, heritage conservation, and development partnership with a Cambodian delegation led by Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, KHY Sovanratana. They also reviewed India’s capacity-building initiatives for Cambodia, including training Cambodian diplomats at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS), Ministry of External Affairs.
