Seminar with Young Cambodian Diplomats Co-organized with National Institute for Diplomacy and International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

On March 22, 2022, The Asia Foundation and the National Institute for Diplomacy and International Relations (NIDIR) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation co-organized a seminar on sharing the diplomatic experience with Ambassador Robert Blake, trustee of The Asia Foundation and senior director at McLarty Associates in Washington, DC, and Indonesia’s Ambassador to Cambodia Surdiman Haseng. The two featured speakers shared their experiences in the diplomatic service with an audience of approximately 20 young Cambodian diplomats and engaged in dialogue on topics ranging from environmental diplomacy to their philosophies of leadership and the role of global fora such as the G20 and ASEAN in international relations.

The Asia Foundation and NIDIR, under the umbrella of our three-year MOU, work together to support the participation of the ministry’s young officials in the Young Asian Diplomats Program in the United States. The collaboration will also establish an open public library and support NIDIR to develop this library into a specialized international relations resource for Cambodia, conduct a joint public lecture series, engage and support policy research and developments on International Relations and/or capacity development, and organize workshops and relevant conferences. NIDIR and The Foundation hope that this MOU will allow both institutions to contribute to the Royal Government of Cambodia’s commitment to promoting international relations with foreign nations.