New Delhi

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar met with visiting Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni in New Delhi on Tuesday to address important concerns such as capacity building, defence, and parliamentary cooperation, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

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President Droupadi Murmu had earlier given King Sihamoni a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present to receive the king at Rashtrapati Bhavan's forecourts, reported PTI.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a tweet said he was honoured to meet King Sihamoni.

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“His visit, as our two countries celebrate 70th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, reaffirms the strong civilisational bond between us.

“Today that is expressed in cooperation in heritage conservation, demining, water conservation and socio-economic projects,” he said.

The talks between Dhankhar and the Cambodian king "covered multiple areas of bilateral relations, including capacity building, conservation of architectural monuments, defence cooperation, including de-mining, and parliamentary cooperation," according to MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

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The Vice President Secretariat said in a second tweet that Dhankhar recalled the warm welcome and good discussions he had during his visit to Cambodia for the India-ASEAN and East Asia Summits in November 2022.

This morning, a visiting dignitary paid respect to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat.

The Cambodian King landed here on Monday for his first state visit. He is joined by a 27-member high-level delegation that includes the minister of the royal palace, the minister of foreign affairs, and other top officials.

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India-Cambodia relations

The state visit concludes the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and Cambodia, which were established in 1952, according to a statement from the MEA.

Bagchi stated that the visit was a chance to strengthen civilisational ties between India and Cambodia. This is the first visit by a Cambodian king in over six decades, the latest being that of the present king's father in 1963.

King Sihamoni will also hold discussions with the President Murmu and PM Modi on a bilateral basis. President Murmu will also host a state banquet in his honour.

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According to the MEA, India and Cambodia have friendly and cordial relations characterised by civilisational, cultural, and economic links as well as deep-rooted people-to-people relationships.

The multifaceted partnership is founded on similar cultural values, a commitment to fostering economic progress, defence and security coordination, and convergence on regional and global challenges.

(With inputs from agencies)

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