Cambodia PM Hun Manet to make first official visit to Singapore

SINGAPORE: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet will make his first official visit to Singapore on Tuesday (Jun 18). 

Dr Hun Manet will receive an official welcome at the Istana, the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement. 

He will then call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and attend a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong. Mr Wong will also host an official dinner in Dr Hun Manet's honour. 

During his two-day visit, he will also receive a call by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

"Prime Minister Hun Manet is scheduled to attend the Cambodia-Singapore Business Forum and visit Nanyang Polytechnic and Keppel Infrastructure@Changi," MFA said.

He will be accompanied by Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea, ministerial delegates, senior government officials as well as representatives from the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce.

Dr Hun Manet was appointed Cambodia's new leader by the king in August last year, after having effectively been given the post from his father who ruled for almost four decades.

Days after the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won a landslide election victory in July, Mr Hun Sen announced that he would resign and hand power to his eldest son.

A graduate of the West Point military academy in the United States, Dr Hun Manet rose quickly through the ranks of Cambodia's armed forces and has served as head of counterterrorism, deputy chief of his father's bodyguard unit, army chief and deputy military commander.

He also has a master's degree from New York University and a doctorate from Britain's Bristol University, both in economics.