Phnom Penh, March 22 (NationPress) - The Secretary for East in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), P. Kumaran, toured the renowned Ta Prohm Temple and Angkor Wat Temple located in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on Sunday.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared on X, stating: "Secretary (East) Shri P. Kumaran visited the Ta Prohm Temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where the Archaeological Survey of India is spearheading restoration and conservation activities. Two phases have been successfully completed, with the third phase currently in progress."

The Angkor Wat Temple stands as the largest ancient temple complex globally, symbolizing the shared civilizational heritage between India and Cambodia.

Jaiswal further noted, "Secretary (East) Shri P. Kumaran visited the Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap, recognized as the world’s largest ancient temple complex and a magnificent emblem of the India-Cambodia shared civilizational heritage. Notably, India was the first nation to provide support for its restoration from 1986-1993," he posted.

On Saturday, Kumaran also visited the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Asian Traditional Textile Museum in Siem Reap. Jaiswal highlighted that this museum, being the first of its kind in the country, showcases the rich textile traditions from the Mekong-Ganga region, underscoring the shared cultural heritage.

Earlier on Friday, Kumaran engaged in discussions with a Cambodian delegation, led by KHY Sovanratana, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. They deliberated on enhancing cooperation in trade, investments, heritage conservation, and developmental partnerships.

As Jaiswal posted on X, "Secretary (East) Shri P Kumaran met with the Cambodian delegation led by Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. KHY Sovanratana to review India’s capacity building initiatives for Cambodia, including the training of Cambodian diplomats at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS) under the Ministry of External Affairs. They also discussed expanding collaboration in trade and investments, heritage conservation, and development partnerships."

The relationship between India and Cambodia is characterized by warmth and cordiality. According to the Indian Embassy in Cambodia, Cambodia serves as a vital interlocutor and a valued partner in the context of India’s ‘Act East’ policy and ASEAN.

In recent times, collaboration between the two nations has broadened across multiple sectors, such as institutional capacity building, human resource development, and extending financial assistance for infrastructure and social security projects, along with capacity building in defense.