Ex-PM returns to Cambodia from Boao Forum for Asia conference in China

PHNOM PENH, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's ex-Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen returned on Friday after attending the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2024 held in Boao of southern China's Hainan Province.

In a speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the conference on Thursday, Hun Sen called for joint efforts by Asian countries to maintain peace and security in the region, according to the Cambodian foreign ministry.

He emphasized the importance of "joint responsibilities among Asian countries to maintain peace and security in the region" to ensure future development and shared prosperity, the ministry said in a statement.

The former Cambodian prime minister also urged Asian countries to strive for deeper integration and better connectivity, rather than decoupling and disruption.

"Samdech Techo also emphasized that despite the recent global economic slowdown, Asia continues to be an area of robust development and the engine of economic growth, highlighting China as a model of growth and development that has enabled other nations to prosper with, not at the expense of others," the statement said.