Saint Lucia’s foreign ministry is touting its new diplomatic ties with Cambodia as a step toward deeper cooperation on tourism, climate resilience and investment.
The formal agreement, signed on September 26 during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, marks the beginning of official relations between the two countries.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Saint Lucia’s Minister of External Affairs, Alva Baptiste, signed the communique on behalf of their respective governments.
Janelle Modeste-Stephen, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, described the accord as a meaningful boost to South-South cooperation.
“It’s really a good move for both of us being part of the list of global south countries,” she told St Lucia Times. “And as we well know, both countries rely heavily on tourism. By sharing best practices, we might be able to exchange lessons from both sides of the globe.”
She noted that Saint Lucia and Cambodia also face common challenges as small and vulnerable states, particularly around climate resilience.
“There’s lots of talk around climate diplomacy and resilience. Both of us are vulnerable to climate risks, which include storms, floods and droughts,” Modeste-Stephen said. “I think cooperation and adaptation strategies, disaster risk mitigation, and ways to find funding could strengthen both sides.”
Beyond climate and tourism, the ministry sees the new relationship as a potential gateway for investment and technical partnerships.
“When you sign diplomatic relationships, there’s the opportunity for investment, for economic opportunities, whether for trade, agriculture, or technical assistance,” Modeste-Stephen noted.
She also pointed to opportunities for cultural and educational exchanges.
“With a relationship between the two of us, there’s more opportunity for cultural exchange, people-to-people exchange, whether through scholarships, student exchanges, or artistic exchanges,” she said. “This can enrich Cambodia, and when their people come over to Saint Lucia, we will learn their culture as well.”
The accord with Saint Lucia follows Cambodia’s recent establishment of diplomatic ties with the Cook Islands in July, as the Southeast Asian nation expands its international engagement with small island states.
