MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Tuesday reaffirmed the strong ties between the Philippines and Cambodia and committed to enhancing cooperation across key sectors, including trade and defense.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, where they discussed ways to strengthen their countries’ strategic partnership.

President Marcos noted improvements in bilateral trade since 2023, crediting the boost in Philippine automobile exports to Cambodia as a key factor in the positive development.

“I hope that we can move forward with those discussions in terms of trade, defense, and potential defense cooperation,” Marcos said, underscoring the importance of broadening collaboration to support regional peace and stability.

Prime Minister Hun Manet, for his part, thanked Marcos for the warm welcome he received during his official visit to the Philippines in February 2025.

He also urged ASEAN member states to seize new opportunities amid global trade challenges, highlighting the potential for economic resilience through regional cooperation.

“There are thousands of products where we can find complementarities” as trading partners, the Cambodian leader said.

Formal relations between the Philippines and Cambodia were established in 1957 and have since grown to include collaboration in trade, tourism, education, and defense.