Cambodia PM leaves G-20 after positive Covid-19 test, worried about other leaders
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Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen arriving at Ngurah Rai International Airport ahead of the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov 14, 2022.
PHOTO: AFP
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NUSA DUA, Indonesia – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday expressed concern for the health of other world leaders after a positive Covid-19 test forced him to cancel meetings at the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Indonesia and return home early.
Mr Hun Sen, the current chairman of Asean, said his symptoms were only minor but he was worried many of the leaders at the G-20 summit in Bali had also been at the Asean and East Asia summits he hosted in Cambodia, which ended on Sunday.
“This is my biggest concern,” he said in an audio message on his Facebook page. “Among those, the Indonesian President who is the next rotating chair of Asean, was always with me.
“Besides him, there are some other leaders who were close with me, shook hands and travelled together, including the US President, who sat together at dinner and travelled together.”
It was not immediately clear if any of the leaders at the G-20 meeting have tested positive for Covid-19.
Mr Hun Sen made the announcement in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
The Cambodian leader said he missed a dinner with heads of state on Monday evening due to his late arrival in Bali.
A senior Health Ministry official told The Straits Times on condition of anonymity that Mr Hun Sen is in stable condition and asymptomatic.
“He hasn’t interacted with other leaders, and hasn’t been in a large gathering here in Bali,” she added.
Mr Hun Sen arrived in Bali late on Monday and, like other leaders, had to undergo a Covid-19 test on Tuesday morning, said the official.
According to other officials, he is staying at the Intercontinental Bali Resort in Jimbaran, and only Suriname has delegates staying at the same hotel.
Mr Hun Sen has cancelled meetings he was due to have at the G-20 summit. These include those that had been scheduled with Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron.
At the weekend, Mr Hun Sen had encounters with leaders from eight Asean countries, including Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Other leaders he met included US President Joe Biden and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
Mr Biden, who turns 80 on Sunday, tested negative on Tuesday morning.
“The President tested negative this morning and is not considered a close contact,” the White House said.
In his post, Mr Hun Sen said he had been tested daily, including before flying to the G-20 summit, and the results had been negative. “Beloved compatriots! Now I have tested positive for Covid-19. I am not sure when this virus came to me, but when I arrived, the Indonesians took a sample from me in the evening, and in the morning it confirmed Covid-19 positive.”
He said it was “lucky” he arrived in Bali late and missed the dinner with other leaders.
For safety reasons, the Cambodian delegation will return home on Tuesday, he said. AFP, BLOOMBERG, REUTERS
