Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen (R) shakes hands with visiting Timor-Leste's President Jose Ramos-Horta in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Oct. 20, 2022. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Timor-Leste on Thursday signed two deals to boost bilateral ties and cooperation, a Cambodian senior official said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and visiting Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta presided over the signing ceremony of the documents after their meeting at the Peace Palace here, said Eang Sophalleth, a personal assistant to Hun Sen.

One was the agreement on air services and the other was the memorandum of understanding on rice trade between the two countries, he said.

Sophalleth said during the meeting, the two leaders vowed to further promote bilateral relations and cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture and education.

"Samdech Techo Hun Sen expressed his welcome for the upcoming direct flight connection between Timor-Leste and Cambodia, saying that this direct flight connection would contribute to increasing trade volume between the two countries," he told reporters after the event.

Meanwhile, Hun Sen also called on Timor-Leste investors to invest in Cambodia, particularly in the rice industry, in order to export milled rice to Timor-Leste.

For his part, Ramos-Horta expressed his gratitude to Cambodia for supporting Timor-Leste's application for the membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Ramos-Horta arrived in Phnom Penh on Wednesday for a three-day state visit at the invitation of Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen (R, Center, rear) and visiting Timor-Leste's President Jose Ramos-Horta (L, Center, rear) witness a signing ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Oct. 20, 2022. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)