India has once again stressed the need for early completion of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway – and its extension to Cambodia – to boost connectivity in the region as part of the Narendra Modi government’s Act East policy. As he conveyed Prime Minister Modi’s personal greetings to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh on Thursday, visiting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also called for speeding up connectivity from the northeast to Vietnam through Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.
The two also flagged defense, tourism, demining, investment, and community development, as well as repairing temples during the conversation. Hun Sen’s office also requested India to promote direct flights to Cambodia to promote tourism and take the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation framework to the highest level.
During his virtual meeting with his Cambodian counterpart in May this year, Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the historical and civilizational links between the two countries and expressed his happiness at India’s involvement in the restoration of Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear temples in Cambodia, which depict the cultural and linguistic connection between the two countries.
