Cambodia has offered to organize a discussion between Russia and Ukraine to reduce tensions during the ongoing war between the two nations.
Khmer Times reports that Cambodia would have the opportunity to host the dialogue during the upcoming ASEAN Summit and related summits, provided that both sides are willing to meet.
A Cambodian senior Foreign Ministry official said on Monday that as the rotating Chair of ASEAN, Cambodia is prepared to host the meeting in Phnom Penh next week that Russia and Ukraine can participate in while also attending other summits. Cambodia will host the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summit and related meetings from November 10-13 under the theme “Addressing Challenges Together”.
Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Chum Sounry said that as chair of ASEAN, Prime Minister Hun Sen has extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the upcoming summits in Phnom Penh.
“We are now waiting for confirmation from the Russian side,” he said.
The Ukrainian Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba has already agreed to visit Cambodia for the signing of the Instrument of Accession to the Treaty on Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) and to participate in the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits.
Prime Minister Hun Sen would also speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on phone on Tuesday.
“I think it is important that I explain the purpose of the meeting. We must meet with him, as I have also invited Russian president (Vladimir) Putin to attend the ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh, although we have not yet received a response. Zelenskyy specifically requested a conversation with the ASEAN chair,” the Cambodian Prime Minister on Saturday.
Cambodia is one of the only ASEAN countries to cast a vote in favor of a UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
