Kuala lumpur: A high-level Cambodian parliamentary delegation led by Samdech Maha Rathasapheathika Thipadei Khuon Sudary, President of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia, attended the Closing Ceremony of the 46th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in Kuala Lumpur.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the session was presided over by H.E. Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr.) Johari Bin Abdul, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malaysia and President of AIPA-46. The event saw participation from AIPA member parliaments, observer delegations, dialogue partners, and representatives of international organisations, indicating parliamentary engagement and cooperation across the region.

The AIPA-46 General Assembly, held under the theme ‘Parliament at the Forefront for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable ASEAN,’ took place from September 17-21 and resulted in the adoption of 42 draft resolutions. Among these, three resolutions were sponsored by Cambodia, focusing on advancing peace
initiatives, establishing the AIPA Leaders Forum, and building partnerships to enhance parliamentary engagement for an inclusive and sustainable ASEAN.

During the assembly, dialogues were held with 14 observer parliaments under the theme ‘ASEAN Centrality: Catalysing Inclusive Regional Architecture for a Sustainable Future.’ The assembly also elected H.E. Dr. Chem Vidhya, Chairman of the Commission on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Information of the Senate of Cambodia, as AIPA Secretary-General for a three-year term starting January 1, 2026.

Samdech Khuon Sudary, along with delegation heads from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, co-signed the outcome documents of AIPA-46. These documents reaffirmed ASEAN’s solidarity and centrality in maintaining peace and encouraging development in the region.

The 47th AIPA General Assembly is set to be hosted by the Philippines in 2026. During the closing session, H.E. Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr.) Johari Bin
Abdul officially handed over the AIPA presidency to H.E. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines and incoming AIPA-47 President. H.E. Romualdez committed to leading and organizing a successful assembly and extended an invitation to all delegations to join AIPA-47.