UK Indo-Pacific Minister to Visit Cambodia-Thailand Border, Urge Peaceful Dialogue
UK Indo-Pacific Minister to Visit Cambodia-Thailand Border, Urge Peaceful Dialogue
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 25, 2026 — Britain’s Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Rosie Winterton, arrived in Cambodia on Tuesday for her first visit to the country, with a planned trip to the Cambodia-Thailand border to see the impact of recent conflict on civilians and promote peaceful dialogue.
During her visit, Winterton will travel to Siem Reap and Oddar Meanchey provinces, where she will visit a UK-funded education programme supporting people displaced by the border conflict and meet communities affected by the fighting, according to the British Embassy in Phnom Penh.
In Oddar Meanchey, she will visit Kok Prasat commune to see how British support is helping children affected by the recent conflict continue their education and rebuild their lives.
The visit will also highlight Britain’s support for sustainable peace and the full implementation of the ceasefire agreed in December 2025, the embassy said.
Winterton is also scheduled to meet demining experts from the HALO Trust and Apopo as part of Britain’s longstanding support for humanitarian mine clearance and recovery efforts in Cambodia.
Britain has supported mine clearance in Cambodia for more than three decades and, since 2014, has helped clear an area equivalent to about 22,400 football pitches, returning the land to productive use, according to the British government.
In May, Britain announced an additional £1.6 million ($2.16 million) for mine clearance and mine-risk education in Cambodia. The funding is expected to help clear nearly 1.94 million square metres of contaminated land and support Cambodia’s goal of becoming free from the impact of landmines by 2030.
“Cambodia sits at the heart of a region that matters for the UK’s security and prosperity,” Winterton said in a statement issued by the British Embassy.
“On my first overseas visit as Minister for the Indo-Pacific, I am seeing how UK support is helping communities recover from conflict and clearing landmines that threaten lives and livelihoods.”
The British government said it remained committed to Cambodia’s stability and long-term development and to working with the country toward a peaceful and prosperous region.
Winterton is also expected to travel to Phnom Penh for talks with the Cambodian government on trade and investment, development and human rights.
She is expected to meet Prime Minister Hun Manet to discuss bilateral cooperation and shared priorities. The visit will also include the signing of a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening institutional partnerships, encouraging knowledge exchange and supporting skills development in Cambodia.
The UK government said its development and humanitarian programmes were intended to support security, stability and long-term recovery in Cambodia.
