Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet on Tuesday expressed readiness to help President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in realizing his bid to attain food security in the Philippines.

Hun Manet made the commitment, following his bilateral meeting with Marcos at Malacañan Palace in Manila.

In a joint statement delivered after the bilateral meeting, Hun Manet assured Marcos of his commitment to assist the Philippines, especially in augmenting its rice supply.

“In agriculture, Cambodia stands ready to contribute to the Philippine food security through rice supply as well as many other food products,” he told Marcos.

In a toast remark during the luncheon he hosted for Hun Manet, Marcos expressed confidence that the Cambodian leader’s first visit to Manila would lead to the two nation’s stronger ties.

“The story of the Philippines and Cambodia is a story of a friendship that is a testament to the steadfast commitment of both sides to work with partners with the same vision of peace and of prosperity, and a collaboration of two nations with immense appreciation of its vast and unyielding optimism for its future,” Marcos said.

“In this spirit, I am hopeful that the years ahead will bring even stronger ties to our two nations on matters of common interest. I expect the coming decades of our relationship to bear witness to the continued advancement of the two nations,” he added.

One of the cooperation agreements presented on the sidelines of Marcos and Hun Manet’s bilateral meeting is the Memorandum of Understanding on Agricultural and Agribusiness Cooperation, covering agricultural planning and further enhancing international trade and agribusiness investments between the two countries.

The Philippines and Cambodia established diplomatic relations in 1957, with their friendship evolving through bilateral cooperation and within the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (PNA)