New Delhi, May 26 (FN Agency) Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni will be on a state visit to India from May 29-31, as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties. It will be the first such visit from Cambodia in almost 60 years, with the last visit by King Norodom Sihanouk in 1963, the present King’s father. The King, who is visiting on the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu, will hold talks with President Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will call on the Cambodian King. “The visit will be an opportunity to consolidate and strengthen our relations. The visit has a strong symbolic value coming as it does on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties,” said Saurabh Kumar, Secretary East MEA, in a special briefing. King Norodom Sihamoni will be accompanied by a 27-member high level delegation, including the Minister of Royal Palace, Vice President of the Senate, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other senior officials from the royal palace and the ministry of foreign affairs, Secretary East Saurabh Kumar said in a special briefing on the visit. India and Cambodia established diplomatic relations in 1952. The last visit to Cambodia by the President of India was by then President Pratibha Patil in 2010, while then President Rajendra Prasad had visited Cambodia in 1959. The Cambodian King will begin his visit on May 30 morning, when he will be given the ceremonial guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He will then visit Rajghat to pay floral tributes. The King will meet President Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will call on him.
President Murmu will host a banquet in honour of the King at Rashtrapati Bhavan. According to a release by the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the visit of the King, bilateral and multilateral cooperation will be discussed. The State Visit by the Cambodian King will “mark a significant milestone in the two countries’ enduring relations and contribute to further deepening the bonds of excellent friendship and close cooperation, which are deeply rooted in the shared historical, religious, and cultural heritage, for the mutual benefits of the two peoples”, it stated. India-Cambodia ties have their “roots in Hindu and Buddhist cultural influences which emanated from India. These historical linkages continue to provide a strong foundation to our contemporary ties,” said Secretary East Saurabh Kumar. Cambodia is an important interlocutor in the context of India’s Act East Policy, the Asean and the Mekong Ganga Cooperation.