First Meeting of Pakistan–Cambodia Parliamentary Friendship Group Focuses on Bilateral Ties
The Pakistan–Cambodia Parliamentary Friendship Group (PFG), under the convenership of Ms. Shamaila Rana, MNA, held its first briefing session at Parliament House, Islamabad. The meeting was attended by Members of the PFG including Mr. Daniyal Ahmed, Mr. Ahmad Atteeq Anwer, Ms. Samar Haroon Bilour, Ms. Tamkeen Akhtar Niazi, Ms. Mah Jabeen Khan Abbasi, Ms. Shazia Farid, Ms. Natasha Daultana, Ms. Neelam Kumari and Ms. Saeeda Jamshid. Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce also participated in the session, while Pakistan’s Ambassador to Cambodia joined the meeting virtually.In her opening remarks, the Convener welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of strengthening parliamentary engagement between Pakistan and Cambodia. The Convener reiterated that Parliamentary Friendship Groups serve as an important platform to promote dialogue between legislatures and to facilitate deeper engagement between the peoples of both countries. She expressed hope that the Pakistan–Cambodia PFG would contribute to strengthening parliamentary interaction and exploring new avenues of cooperation between the two countries.Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided a comprehensive briefing and noted that while high-level interactions between the two countries have remained limited, Cambodia has demonstrated a growing interest in enhancing cooperation with Pakistan. They highlighted that Pakistan had offered to facilitate the opening of a Cambodian diplomatic mission in Pakistan and expressed hope that greater institutional presence would help deepen bilateral engagement. It further noted that Pakistan was among the early countries to recognize Cambodia and has maintained friendly and cooperative ties. The briefing highlighted that bilateral engagement has gradually expanded in recent years, particularly in the areas of trade, economic cooperation and parliamentary interaction.
The members were informed that cooperation between the two countries has been developing through various mechanisms, including trade-related engagement and institutional dialogue. It was also noted that the Second Joint Trade Commission meeting and ministerial-level interactions have contributed to identifying new avenues of cooperation. The briefing also highlighted the potential for collaboration in sectors such as textiles, pharmaceuticals, leather goods and travel-related products, where opportunities exist for increased economic engagement.During the discussion, Members highlighted the importance of enhancing parliamentary diplomacy and strengthening people-to-people contacts between the two countries. They emphasized the need to promote cooperation in areas such as trade, tourism, education, information technology and cultural exchange.
