Premier Li Keqiang and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen sent congratulatory messages to the opening ceremony of 2019 China-Cambodia Cultural Tourism Year, which was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Jan 30.

Noting the long history of traditional friendship between China and Cambodia, Premier Li praised the splendid culture and beautiful scenery of the two countries.

The Premier said that jointly holding the 2019 China-Cambodia Cultural Tourism Year is an important consensus reached by him and Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen when he was visiting China a few days ago.

Premier Li said he hopes that the two sides will take the cultural tourism year as an opportunity to strengthen cultural exchanges, expand people-to-people exchanges, promote mutual understanding, and cultivate a deeper public opinion and social foundation for a community of shared future between China and Cambodia.

Hun Sen appreciated the close and fruitful cooperation in various fields between the two countries, and emphasized the importance of China-Cambodia Cultural Tourism Year for deepening friendly cooperation between China and Cambodia under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, achieving mutual benefit and win-win results, and promoting the tourism development of the two countries.