Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni arrives in Delhi

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni on Monday arrived in New Delhi for a three-day visit to India. Union Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh received the Cambodian King at the airport.

Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi took to his Twitter handle to inform about his arrival. He tweeted, "H.M. King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia arrives in New Delhi on his maiden State visit to India. Warmly welcomed by MoS @RanjanRajkuma11. An opportunity to further deepen the civilisational relations between India and Cambodia."

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni's visit to India marks the culmination of the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release. This visit by the King of Cambodia is taking place after almost six decades.

" The State visit marks the culmination of the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Cambodia, which were established in 1952. This visit by the King of Cambodia is taking place after almost six decades, with the last being that of the current King's father in 1963," the MEA said in the press release.

Cambodia King will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 30. President Droupadi Murmu will host a State Banquet in honour of Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni on the same evening.

During his visit, Cambodia King will hold bilateral meetings with President Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will call on the King. During his visit, the Cambodia King will also pay floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat.

The MEA in the press release noted that the visit of the King of Cambodia will further "strengthen and deepen the civilisational relations between India and Cambodia."

India and Cambodia enjoy "warm and friendly nations" marked by "civilisational, cultural and economic linkages and deep-rooted people-to-people ties." The ties between the two nations are based on shared cultural values, commitment to foster economic growth, collaboration in the fields of defence & security and convergence on regional and global issues, according to an MEA press release.

The MEA in the press release said, "India actively assists Cambodia in capacity building & human resource development through training slots under the ITEC and scholarships under ICCR. India has also extended grants and concessional loans for developmental projects. Conservation and restoration of the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and Preah Vihar are being carried out under GoI funding."

India has extended a grant of USD 1.5 million for the purchase of demining equipment and has offered a line of credit worth USD 50 million Line of Credit for the procurement of defence equipment from India. Customised training courses are being carried out for Cambodian Army Personnel in India and Mobile training teams from Indian Army have been deployed to Cambodia for training Cambodian Army personnel.

According to the MEA press release, trade between India and Cambodia for FY 2023-23 stood at USD 366 million and is growing. Indian investments in Cambodia are estimated at around USD 115 million, particularly in pharmaceuticals, automobiles and mining.