Did the German president's visit achieve the goal of his trip - to reduce one-sided dependencies and strengthen Germany's relationships in the region?
The first ever visit of the German Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, provides a good incentive for German-Cambodian relations. Building on the intensified relations during the Cambodia´s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2022, in midst of the reforming world order and the resulting insecurities, this visit creates the opportunity to redefine the partnership between the two countries. From an international, regional and domestic perspective, this could mean significant changes within the forthcoming years. In October 2023, Germany and Cambodia will look back on 30 years of diplomatic relations - the high-level visit this year provides an opportunity to take a closer look at relations between the two countries.