The Japanese word “Kizuna” means “strong bond” and we chose this word for the name of our festival in 2012 in the hope that it would symbolize the strong relationship between our countries and our peoples. Since then, the festival has been held annually at the Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC) and, each year, it has attracted more and more visitors. It has lived up to our expectations and has truly become a hub where people can meet and exchange ideas and information. The people-to-people exchange opportunities we organize are not limited to cultural events though. We also arranged a number of diplomatic events during the last year. These included the establishment of the Consular Office of Japan in Siem Reap and frequent visits between VIPs from both countries, including Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s visit to Japan and mutual visits between the Japanese and Cambodian Foreign Ministers. Regarding economic relations, I am delighted to see that an increasing number of private Japanese companies are actively operating here and contributing to the economic growth of Cambodia. In addition, I am pleased to report that the number of Cambodian tourists visiting Japan is continuing to grow. In 2018 alone, more than 20,000 Cambodians visited Japan.