Two streets in Phnom Penh are to be named after former Indonesian president Sukarno and foreign minister Ali Alatas to commemorate their contributions to modern Cambodia.
Sukarno visited Cambodia in the 1950s and ‘60s, not long after the country gained independence from France, while Alatas co-chaired a conference on Cambodia in the French capital prior to the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements.
Outgoing Indonesian ambassador Sudirman Haseng paid Phnom Penh governor Khuong Sreng a courtesy visit on Tuesday, before inspecting the locations of the two roads set to be named Jalan Soekarno and Jalan Ali Alatas.
Sreng said the kingdom’s friendship with Indonesia had contributed to the development of modern Cambodia, with Prime Minister Hun Sen deciding to name the streets after the two leaders as an expression of gratitude.
“The two streets will be named Jalan Soekarno and Jalan Ali Alatas to express gratitude to the leadership of the Republic of Indonesia, which has contributed greatly to Cambodia’s development,” he said.
Sudirman expressed gratitude at the streets being named after the former Indonesian statesmen and praised the rapid development of Phnom Penh.
Cambodia and Indonesia had enjoyed good relations until 1975, when diplomatic ties were severed by the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime.
It was not until 1992, after the Paris Peace Accords, that the two countries re-established official ties. — The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
