Phnom Penh, March 22 – P. Kumaran, Secretary (East) of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), visited the Ta Prohm Temple and Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on Sunday.
In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: "Secretary (East) Shri P. Kumaran visited the Ta Prohm Temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where the Archaeological Survey of India is leading restoration and conservation efforts. Two phases have been successfully completed, with the third phase currently underway."
The Angkor Wat Temple is the largest ancient temple complex in Cambodia and is a shared India-Cambodia civilizational heritage.
"Secretary (East) Shri P Kumaran visited the Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap, the world’s largest ancient temple complex in Cambodia and a magnificent symbol of India-Cambodia shared civilizational heritage. India was the first country to provide support for its restoration from 1986-1993," Jaiswal posted.
Kumaran also visited the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Asian Traditional Textile Museum in Siem Reap on Saturday, Jaiswal added: "This is the first museum of its kind in the country, showcasing rich textile traditions from the Mekong-Ganga region, highlighting shared cultural heritage."
On Friday, Kumaran held a meeting with a Cambodian delegation led by Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, KHY Sovanratana, and discussed expanding cooperation in trade and investments, heritage conservation and development partnership.
"Secretary (East) Shri P Kumaran met a Cambodian delegation led by Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. KHY Sovanratana, to review India’s capacity building initiatives for Cambodia, including the training of Cambodian diplomats at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS), Ministry of External Affairs. They also discussed expanding cooperation in trade and investments, heritage conservation and development partnership," Jaiswal posted on X.
India and Cambodia share warm and cordial relations. According to the Indian Embassy in Cambodia, in the context of India’s 'Act East' policy and ASEAN, Cambodia is an important interlocutor and a good partner.
In contemporary times, cooperation between the two nations has expanded in various fields such as institutional capacity building, human resource development, and extending financial assistance in infrastructure projects, social security projects, and capacity building in defence.