In early November, Hungary's foreign minister Peter Szijjarto paid a visit to Cambodia to reopen the country's embassy in Phnom Penh, which had been closed for decades.
For Cambodia's authoritarian government, who in August saw trade privileges partially cut by the EU in response to the erosion of democracy in Phnom Penh since 2017, Szijjarto's visit signalled something more important: it had found a new ally within the EU.
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David Hutt is a political journalist based between the Czech Republic and the UK, reporting on EU foreign policy and Europe-Asia relations. He was formerly based in Southeast Asia between 2014-2019. He is Southeast Asia Columnist at the Diplomat, a columnist and correspondent at Asia Times, and a contributor to Foreign Policy, Euronews, Nikkei Asia, and others.
David Hutt is a political journalist based between the Czech Republic and the UK, reporting on EU foreign policy and Europe-Asia relations. He was formerly based in Southeast Asia between 2014-2019. He is Southeast Asia Columnist at the Diplomat, a columnist and correspondent at Asia Times, and a contributor to Foreign Policy, Euronews, Nikkei Asia, and others.