A delegation from the lower house of the Russian parliament concluded a four-day visit to Cambodia Tuesday and heard praise for their nation from Prince Norodom Ranariddh.
“This visit from the Russian parliament was very important because such exchanges of delegations help us to understand each other,” said the prince, who played host to the visitors in his capacity as president of the National Assembly.
In a meeting Tuesday with Artur Chilingarov, vice president of the Russian lower house, the prince expressed his appreciation for what he called the significant role Russia plays in current world affairs, saying the former communist superpower’s role is “balancing and mediating because of its non-engagement with NATO and the West. Russia could contribute greatly to the fair solution of world affairs.”
The prince pointed out that relations between the former Soviet Union and Cambodia date back to 1956, but were abruptly cut off during the Pol Pot regime. Russia returned as the biggest donor to Cambodia for most of the 1980s after Vietnamese-led forces toppled the Khmer Rouge government.
On their visit, the Russian legislators met with Prime Minister Hun Sen, Senate Vice President Prince Sisowath Chivan Monirak and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.
Prince Ranariddh led a delegation of Cambodian legislators on a visit to Moscow in September. He invited Chilingarov to return to Phnom Penh in January for the scheduled gathering of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace.
