This article covers political relations between India and Cambodia, from India's role in the 1950s to recent visits by leaders and ministers and the Foreign Office Consultations. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) brief on India-Cambodia bilateral relations of June 2026.

Political relations

According to the MEA brief of June 2026, India and Cambodia enjoy warm and cordial relations. In the 1950s, India was associated with the International Control Commission on Indo-China, and the brief states that India's contribution as Co-Chairman of the Commission came in for widespread appreciation in Cambodia.

After the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime, India was the first country to recognise the new government. In the post Khmer Rouge phase (1979-91), India offered legitimacy to the regime and helped build the capacity of its leadership. The reopening of India's Embassy is covered in this guide's practical article.

The brief states that there is an abundance of goodwill for India in Cambodia, sustained by regular interactions between political leaders, bilateral visits, aid and assistance, capacity building, cultural exchanges, concessional loans for development projects, and the restoration and conservation of old temples in Cambodia.

In the context of India's 'Act East' policy and ASEAN, the brief describes Cambodia as an important interlocutor and a good partner.

Agreements

India and Cambodia have signed various Agreements and MoUs in the fields of:

  • bilateral cooperation;
  • trade and commerce;
  • cultural exchanges;
  • capacity building;
  • concessional loans for developmental projects;
  • restoration and conservation of old temples in Cambodia.

Visits from India

The brief states that bilateral relations have been reinforced by several high-level visits. From India, these include:

  • Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1954;
  • Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in April 2002 and November 2002;
  • President of India Smt. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil;
  • PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, in November 2012;
  • Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, in September 2015.

Since 2018, India has made several further high-level visits to Cambodia:

  • Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, twice, in May 2018 and March 2019;
  • EAM Sushma Swaraj, in August 2018;
  • Speaker Om Birla, who led a parliamentary delegation in April 2022;
  • MoS Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, in June 2022;
  • EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar, in August 2022, with further meetings in 2023 and 2024;
  • Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, in November 2022, for ASEAN-related events.

Visits by India's defence ministers are listed in this guide's development and cooperation article.

Visits and meetings with Cambodian leaders

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen visited India in January 2018 for a state visit and the ASEAN-India Summit, and as Republic Day Guest of Honour. PM Hun Sen held a virtual meeting with PM Modi in May 2022.

In September 2023, PM Modi met Cambodian PM Hun Manet on the sidelines of the India-ASEAN Summit in Jakarta.

Foreign Office Consultations

The 3rd India-Cambodia Foreign Office Consultations were held in Siem Reap on March 10, 2025.