Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday left for home after concluding a "successful and productive" visit to Cambodia during which he attended the ASEAN-India and the East Asia Summits and held talks with several leaders from different countries.
The Vice President arrived in the Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh on Friday on his maiden trip abroad after assuming office.
The highlights of his three-day trip included "elevated India-ASEAN ties, reaffirmed ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific, and deeper bilateral connect with Cambodia and others," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
The ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit held on Saturday was "historic as it elevated the ASEAN-India relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
The Vice President attended the 17th East Asia Summit on Sunday during which he highlighted the importance of the EAS as the premier leaders led forum in the region and emphasised on its further strengthening to make it more adaptive, resilient and dynamic.
He also held separate meetings with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Prime Minister Hun Sen and the President of the Senate.
"In all meetings, the Cambodian Leadership appreciated India's support for the country including in their times of difficulty," the statement said.
During the visit, three MOUs and one Financing arrangement were exchanged related to cooperation in the areas of Culture, Biodiversity and Health.
Dhankhar also briefly interacted with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the summit.
The Vice President also announced an assistance of USD 426,000 for demining of three districts and one commune in Cambodia, and increased the ITEC slots for the country from 200 to 250 and ICCR scholarship from 30 to 50.
He also met the Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh and discussed bilateral and multilateral issues.
The Vice President visited the heritage sites of Ta Prohm Temple and Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap and examined the restoration and conservation work at these cultural heritage sites, carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Angkor Wat Temple Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage. India undertook the restoration and preservation of Angkor Wat from 1986-1993 at a total cost of US$ 4 million through one of the most difficult periods of contemporary history of Cambodia.
The Vice President inaugurated the Hall of Dancers at the Ta Prohm Temple.
The conservation and restoration of Ta Prohm is a partnership project of the Archaeological Survey of India and the APSARA (Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap) and has been carried out since 2011. India is currently undertaking the 3rd phase of restoration and preservation work.
"The visit of Hon'ble Vice President of India served to reaffirm our close ties with the ASEAN Member States, in particular with Cambodia," the statement said.
PTI
