The Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Manet, is in Singapore on a visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

This is Hun Manet's first official visit to Singapore, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a press statement dated June 17.

He is in Singapore from June 18 to June 19.

The programme

Hun Manet will receive an official welcome at the Istana and call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

He will then meet his Singaporean counterpart, PM Wong.

According to a press release by the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, the two will discuss how to "deepen bilateral relations and expand multifaceted cooperation".

Following this, they will sign several "cooperation documents" and officially launch the Financial Transparency Corridor Project.

According to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Financial Transparency Corridor allows for "enhanced information flows" between Singaporean and Cambodian small and medium-sized enterprises, improving trade connectivity and mitigating risks and potential trade disputes.

In diplomatic terms, official visits differ from state visits in that they place more focus on bilateral discussions rather than public ceremonies, and usually concern the head of government rather than the head of state.

Busy visit

PM Wong will later host an official dinner in Hun Manet's honour.

The Cambodian leader will also meet Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and deliver the keynote address at the Cambodia-Singapore Business Forum.

Also on his agenda are visits to Nanyang Polytechnic and Keppel Infrastructure@Changi.

Hun Manet's delegation includes Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea, other senior government officials, and representatives from the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce.

About Hun Manet

The eldest son of long-ruling PM Hun Sen, Hun Manet took over as PM in August 2023.

He was previously in Singapore in 2019, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and commander of the Royal Cambodian Army.

Singapore and Cambodia will commemorate 60 years of diplomatic ties next year.

The two Asean member-states formally established ties on Sep. 15, 1965.

Top photo via Lee Hsien Loong/Facebook