Minister of Mines and Energy H.E. Keo Rottanak led a senior Cambodian delegation to Australia last week, pursuing three priorities: strengthening oversight for responsible mineral development, advancing structured engagement with international partners on exploration, and deepening institutional cooperation with Australian counterparts on regulation, safety and environmental standards.
The delegation’s engagements spanned Perth, Canberra, and Melbourne, combining technical learning, industry partnerships, energy procurement discussions, and bilateral diplomatic consultations.
Mineral Development and Regulatory Standards
In Perth, the delegation met with Rio Tinto’s Exploration Director, Ms Alison Morley, building on prior coordination between the two parties. Rio Tinto expressed interest in further technical engagement on exploration opportunities in Cambodia, and both sides agreed to develop a collaboration framework to guide any future cooperation in line with Cambodia’s national procedures and regulatory requirements.
A significant focus of the Perth programme was institutional learning. The delegation held substantive discussions with Western Australia’s Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration, including Director General Mr Chris Shaw and Deputy Director General Mr Andrew Chaplyn, examining practical regulatory systems and enforcement practices. Western Australia offers a compelling model of scale and governance: the state manages over 26,000 mining tenements across 74 million hectares of land, alongside 277 petroleum titles covering more than 141,000 square kilometres. That level of activity is made possible by well-designed institutions and credible enforcement, lessons directly applicable to Cambodia’s own regulatory development.
To translate this learning into practice, Cambodia will dispatch a technical team in March, led by Secretary of State H.E. Yos Monyrath, to conduct a focused study of mining safety and regulatory practices.
Exploration Security
The delegation met with Woodside, one of Australia’s leading gas producers, for discussions on LNG supply options for Cambodia’s first 900 MW LNG power project, targeted to begin operations in 2027. Woodside was represented by Mr Tony Cudmore, Executive Vice President, Sustainability, Policy and External Affairs, the meeting covered supply arrangements, LNG portfolio marketing, and regulatory considerations. Woodside expressed strong interest in participating in supply discussions, and Cambodia intends to engage a range of credible suppliers to ensure reliability, competitiveness, and long-term value.
That evening, the delegation joined Emerald Resources and a broader group of industry stakeholders, including financiers, insurers, brokers, and legal advisers, for an industry engagement at Elizabeth Quay. The discussions reflected an important dimension of the mission: large-scale resources projects depend on more than geology and engineering. Robust financing structures, insurance coverage, and sound legal and risk frameworks are equally essential, and Cambodia is actively working to build the investment ecosystem that high-quality projects require.
Bilateral Diplomacy
In Canberra, the delegation held consultations with senior officials at Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Over lunch with First Assistant Secretary Pablo Kang of the Southeast Asia Regional Division, and in a subsequent meeting with Deputy Secretary Michelle Chan of the South and Southeast Asia Group, discussions covered bilateral cooperation and regional developments. Cambodia reaffirmed its consistent position that peace and stability are best secured through peaceful dialogue, international law, and mutual respect.
Regulatory Insights from Melbourne
The Melbourne leg of the mission deepened the delegation’s understanding of how sophisticated regulatory frameworks function at both the market and state level.
Discussions with the Australian Energy Regulator, led by Executive Director David Stanford, provided insight into how Australia oversees its national energy market, manages grid performance, and engages internationally on energy governance. These are areas of direct relevance as Cambodia develops its own energy regulatory capacity.
The delegation also met with Marinus Link, a proposed two-way electricity interconnector between Tasmania and Victoria designed to support renewable integration. The project illustrates how cross-border energy interconnection can be planned, financed, and delivered, a model of interest as Cambodia considers regional energy integration within ASEAN.
A meeting with Resources Victoria Chief Executive Officer Matt Vincent rounded out the programme. Victoria’s approach to managing resources development alongside environmental obligations provided further reference points for Cambodia’s ongoing regulatory reform agenda.
Cambodia returns from Australia with stronger partnerships, sharper regulatory insights, and a clear path forward, developing its natural resources with the standards and credibility the country’s future demands.