Phnom Penh: On the 27th anniversary of Cambodia’s accession to ASEAN from April 30, 1999 to April 30, 2026, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Acting Head of State of Cambodia, expressed congratulations on the achievements over the past 27 years.
After achieving national unification and complete territorial unity through the successful implementation of the win-win policy in 1998, Cambodia became the 10th member of ASEAN on April 30, 1999.
With this 27th anniversary celebration, I would like to recall the words of Samdech Techo who mapped out the direction of Cambodia’s presence in ASEAN, “ASEAN membership is one of Cambodia’s most important historical diplomatic choices.” At that time, the international political context was very complex.
According to Samdech Techo, the decision to join ASEAN at that time was based on four main reasons: the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member countries, community spirit by working in accordance with the consensus principle, socio-economic development through regional integration, and the gateway to Cambodia’s diplomatic opportunities.
However, Cambodia has not forgotten the important contribution of ASEAN in building Cambodia’s peace, even before Cambodia became a member of ASEAN. Cambodia has moved away from isolation and joined ASEAN, moving towards equal recognition, equal rights and full respect for independence, sovereignty, dignity and prestige as a nation in the region.
Please note that over the past 27 years, Cambodia has actively and decisively contributed by hosting three ASEAN summits in 2002, 2012 and 2022 and many other related summits, including supporting Timor-Leste’s membership.
This site is translated by Google Translate™
