PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has responded positively to a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump that encouraged him to promote democracy and improve strained relations between the two countries.
A letter from Hun Sen, dated Tuesday and shared online Wednesday by members of his government, accepted Trump's invitation to a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders in the United States early next year, as well as an offer for the two countries' foreign policy teams to hold talks.
Washington has long criticized Hun Sen's government for its poor record on democratic and human rights. Hun Sen, in power for 34 years, has accused the U.S. of seeking "regime change" to oust him.
Trump's Nov. 1 letter assured Hun Sen that the U.S. does not seek regime change.
FILE - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, center, greets his government officers during the country's 66th Independence Day from France, at the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019.