Near Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin visited the Embassy of the Kingdom of Cambodia in Korea on July 3 and held a meeting with Khoun Phon Rattanak, Ambassador of Cambodia to Korea.
During the meeting, Secretary-General Lim introduced NEAR's organizational structure, recent activities, the Associate Membership system, and the current status of associate membership by regional governments from Central and Southeast Asia under the NEAR+2 Policy. He also requested the Embassy's support in encouraging two to three regional governments in Cambodia to join NEAR as associate members.
▲ In addition, Secretary-General Lim noted that he had recently met with Mr. Keo Dary, Deputy Director of the Kampong Thom Provincial Health Department, who visited Korea at the invitation of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, and had delivered a letter addressed to the Governor of Kampong Thom Province inviting the province to join NEAR as an associate member. He requested the Embassy's assistance in facilitating Kampong Thom Province's early accession to NEAR.
▲ Secretary-General Lim also invited Ambassador Khoun Phon Rattanak to attend the「2026 NEAR 30th Anniversary Local Cooperation Forum」, to be held on August 20. The forum will commemorate the 30th anniversary of NEAR and provide a platform for discussing new directions for interregional cooperation in response to the evolving international environment.
In response, Ambassador Khoun Phon Rattanak said that Secretary-General Lim's detailed presentation had provided an opportunity to gain a better understanding of NEAR.
▲ Ambassador stated that he would report the matter to the Cambodian central government and communicate closely with provincial governors to facilitate the accession of one or two Cambodian provinces, including Kampong Thom Province, as NEAR associate members. In addition to Kampong Thom, he recommended Battambang Province, one of Cambodia's major agricultural regions, as a strong candidate for associate membership.
▲ Ambassador also noted that Cambodia has maintained a long-standing friendly relationship with Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, where the NEAR Secretariat is located. As next year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Cambodia, he expressed his hope to expand cultural exchanges with Korean regional governments and to promote cooperation between the NEAR Secretariat and IRAG (Information Research and Analysis Group) under Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
▲ He further expressed his appreciation for the invitation to the 「2026 NEAR 30th Anniversary Local Cooperation Forum」 and said that he would be pleased to attend the forum.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Khoun Phon Rattanak previously served as Ambassador of Cambodia to Egypt, Under Secretary of State, and Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He assumed his post as Ambassador of Cambodia to Korea in August 2025.