Hun Manet Says U.S.-Cambodia Relations Improving A | RSS.com
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet says relations between Cambodia and the United States are improving, with both countries moving toward deeper cooperation in key sectors after signing a new bilateral trade agreement.
Writing on his official Facebook page, Hun Manet said his meeting on Tuesday with Michael George DeSombre, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, focused on expanding bilateral ties in areas including trade, investment, defense, and the fight against transnational crime. The discussion also covered monitoring progress on the Kuala Lumpur Joint Peace Declaration between Cambodia and Thailand.
The prime minister said he reaffirmed Cambodia’s “genuine and sincere commitment” to fully implementing the peace declaration to ensure lasting stability along the border and to transform the frontier into a zone of peace and development.
In a separate statement, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn also met DeSombre the same day. Both sides agreed to continue strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation across multiple fields, echoing the prime minister’s message.
The warming tone in U.S.-Cambodia relations follows several high-level developments. On July 28, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump, during the ASEAN Summit, helped mediate a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand over their border dispute. As part of the arrangement, the two countries reached a reciprocal trade deal, with Washington agreeing to cap tariffs on Cambodian goods at 19 percent while Phnom Penh introduced zero tariffs on U.S. agricultural and industrial imports.
Cambodia later publicly endorsed Trump’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize and pledged to purchase 10 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, each valued between 120 and 130 million U.S. dollars.
Shortly afterward, the White House announced it would lift the ban on arms sales to Cambodia, expand scholarships for Cambodian cadets at American military academies, including West Point and the Air Force Academy, and resume the joint “Angkor Sentinel” military exercises between the two nations.
The White House also confirmed that Washington and Phnom Penh have agreed to strengthen joint efforts against transnational crime, focusing on drug trafficking and cyber fraud networks that have increasingly operated across Southeast Asia.
