Address at the 30th Anniversary of the Partnership Between The Royal Government, Non-Governmental Organizations and the People of Cambodia 1979 – 2009

National Institute of Education, November 24, 2009

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Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!

I am delighted to be here celebrating the “30^th Anniversary of the Partnership Between the Royal Government, Non-Governmental Organizations and the People of Cambodia 1979 – 2009” with Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, representatives from national and international NGOs. This event is being held while the regional and global economy are showing some signs of recovery. In spite of this encouraging trend, we must continue to pool contribution from all sources in our society, including the role of national and international NGOs, which is a major catalyst for accelerating development progress. In this sense, I think this ceremony is a great opportunity for reassessing our weaknesses and strengths, what have been done and what have not been done to allow us to set direction for more aggressive, more vibrant and more efficient implementation in the future. The exchange of dialogue on the role of NGOs in socio-economic development, prolific partnership and the proper and efficient use of fund will indeed help us fine-tune and customize our operation in order to accommodate the people’s actual needs and various national development plans and strategies, especially the National Strategic Development Plan and the Rectangular Strategy Phase II.

Along with this, today’s event will also allow us to look at our partnership development and define the strategic direction for tighter, more harmonized, and more predictable collaboration to ensure further results. These include: i) the acknowledgement of contribution and achievement of NGOs for the past 30 years (1979 – 2009) in economic restoration and development effort, ii) the reflection of experience and good partnership between the Royal Government, NGOs and the people of Cambodia, and iii) looking forward to prolific cooperation and partnership between the Royal Government, NGOs and the people of Cambodia to jointly address challenges in the next decade.

Taking this opportunity, on behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, I would like to show my appreciation to the organizing committee for the successful and smooth running of the event. Also, I would like to extend my profound thanks to the management and staff of both national and international NGOs as well as aid agencies and all the Cambodian people for their untiring work in the last 30 years dedicating to charitable and humanitarian work and national development. In this spirit, I am confident that national and international NGOs and stakeholders will remain committed to strengthening cooperation and partnership and playing a key role in development progress to bring about prosperity, development and harmony to Cambodia.

While we are gathering today to evaluate the progress of our partnership, I would like to bring up the history of socio-economic development after the collapse of Pol Pot Regime on 7 January 1979 and the contribution from NGOs in the last 30 years as follows:

We all know that the Pol Pot Regime toppled the Khmer Republic Regime on 17 April 1975 and forced the people to desert Phnom Penh. The people became slaves and prisoners of wall-less prison. Millions died of hunger, inadequate health care, forced labor, and massacre. After 7 January 1979, Cambodia was left with nothing from the last regime, contrary to the Lun Nol’s Khmer Republic Regime which inherited abundant resources from the People’s Socialist Community. Left behind by the Pol Pot Regime were the separation of family members, ruins, death of millions of people, destruction of economic infrastructure, and countless residual problems.

In the Pol Pot Regime, people worked and ate collectively. There were no longer private property, currency, market, relationship, trade and whatsoever. The only workplace was rice field, more specifically, people had to work extremely hard in exchange of little food while their rights and ownership were stripped. People owned nothing ranging from agricultural means and equipments, houses, utilities to spoons, bowls, plates and cooking utensils. Their only property was the clothes they wear. The outcome of their hard work was managed by the “Organization”.

Moreover, factories, enterprises, commercial buildings, schools, pagodas, governmental institutions were closed or destroyed. The authority at that time did not allow the circulation of currency and trade transaction. We can call the regime “Slavery Era” in which the “Organization” was the lord and the people were the slave. Everyone live with the anticipation of their execution or death by hunger and illness.

During the Pol Pot Regime, everyone heard the word “Organization” but they did not know what this “Organization” referred to. The higher authority used the word “Organization” to suppress their subordinates and threaten the people, especially those accused of being enemy. The people were frightened and doubtful of the word “Organization”, especially the phrase “Organization called someone to go to study” as those who went to study would never return or disappeared forever. The disappearance meant those who went to study had been killed by the “Organization”. The word “Organization” indeed refers to the organization structure of the military and politics of the Pol Pot Regime. What this organization did contradict the people’s wishes, hence it goes against democracy, and against the respect of human right and dignity. Therefore, the regime did not last long and finally collapsed because the mass killings and lost the support from its people, even their own cadre members.

January 7^th, 1979 was the last day of Pol Pot regime, and a new day of victory for the nation and Cambodian people. That’s why Cambodian people across the country consider the January 7^th was the big historic victory day as well as their second birthday. After the liberation, the United National Front for Liberation and Salvation of Kampuchea had fulfilled its duties in saving people lives, prevented the return of genocidal regime, defended national territories , resolved the starvation for its people, and facilitated the repatriation and family reunion to their homeland. The other demanding duty was to set up the administrative authorities at all levels, all sectors in order to lead the country-we did not even have a village chief at that time. In such difficult situation, The People’s Republic of Kampuchea was established and the new regime had strong hope and commitment to defense and reconstruct Cambodia of all sectors in order to help people to live in peace and development.

At that time, starvation had threatened people’s lives, not at a single family, a village, a commune, a district or a province, but the entire country. So the urgent task for us was to raise people’ standard of living back to normalcy and stability. Along the small streets, big streets, at cities urban and rural areas across the country we met people with similar condition, we met crowds of people walked from place to place with tired, no energy, thin, pale and hopelessness conditions. People walked with old clothes, some even without shoes, carried their little bag of belongings from Pol Pot’s controlled areas with their surviving children moving toward their homeland for family reunion.

In summary, the collapsed of Pol Pot’s genocidal regime on January 7^th 1979 led to new pathway for politics, economy, social and culture for Cambodia. Thereafter, Cambodian people started their new journey of life, raised their living standard, rebuild the economy and society of all sectors. We started from nothing, from the hill of ashes where almost everything were destroyed- physically and morally. For the last 30 years, after the collapsed of Pol Pot’s genocidal regime, our motherland had gone through complexities, obstacles- politically and economically. The re-establishment of new administrative authority from nothing was challenging in all sectors, including human resources and materials. In such situation, we noticed that many NGOs arrived, especially after 1979 and started implement many activities with the government to help resolve many problems with the government, mainly in food supplies and social affairs, while some other developed countries closed their eyes for the suffering of Cambodian people and also put pressure on politics and economic embargo to the country and Cambodian people.

In order to rescue the people out of starvation across the country and to re-establish administrative authority, we used total measures to tackle those problems. We did not have materials and budget at all, except some foods we collected from Pol Pot, we distributed some foods to our armed forces and state’s institutions and the rest for the people.

In such difficult situation, the support from the Vietnamese people was very valuable. The Vietnamese government immediately provided foods, medicines and other equipments to Cambodian people who were lack of everything. Later on, in 1980, Laos, Soviet Union, India and other INGOs also provided urgent charitable aids to Cambodia, in addition to existing charitable aids from the government and Vietnamese people.

From 1979 to 1980, we had fifteen INGOs from Western countries that fund raised more than US$100 million for its operational activities to tackle pressing problems in Cambodia. The most important priority at that time was to solve hunger problem, because crops and food warehouses were completely destroyed by the Khmer Rouge when they chased out people from cities and urban areas to rural areas. In such circumstance, NGOs were mainly focused on humanitarian activities rather than political affairs.

During that phase, NGOs were strongly focused on two important priorities: salvation/support and reconstruction, their activities such as supplied of foods, medicines, rice and vegetable seeds, fertilizers, wells, vaccination of animals, tools for repairing agricultural machines, spare parts for repairing textile factory, soap factory, school materials, equipments for school buildings, production of chalks, …bridges, equipments for pediatric hospital, orphanages and others.

Remarkably, NGOs played important role as key messengers to the outside world by sharing about the sufferings of Cambodian people when Cambodia was isolated by politics and economy embargo from other western countries.

With strong determination and commitment of all Cambodian people, together with supports from foreign friends and NGOs, we made good progress in reducing hunger problem. Also despite the natural disaster in 1979-1980, the result of our food production was satisfactory which helped us to end hunger problem historically that left over by Pol Pot’s regime and set foundation for our development today.

The presence of NGOs started with programs and activities responded to the real needs of Cambodian people as well as the government wants The key results were shown on the improvement of social affairs and public health.

As a matter of fact, after the collapsed of Pol Pot’s regime, the serious problem we faced and needed immediate response was social affairs- orphanages, elderly people, people with disabilities, homeless people and windows who have children, without labor force support. Based on statistics in 1981, we had 207,105 orphans, out of which 6,242 orphans lived in 34 orphanage centers and other 200,863 orphans lived with their relatives, aunts, uncles, their parent’s friends and kind families. These figures did not include orphans who lost either a mother or a father.

In fact, these big social problems could not be tackled by the government of People’s Republic of Kampuchea alone within the short of period of time. Thus, the joint activities between the government and its people and INGOs were a must. Together, we were able to tackle the problems successfully with great pride. More importantly, with the support of local authorities, foreign friends of Cambodia and INGOs, all orphanage centers were able to provide vocational training skills to orphans such as sewing, embroidery, weaving, carpentry, mechanics and farming.etc. Through those trainings we could confirm that none of the orphans who lived in orphanage centers were illiterate, except orphans who have neurological disorder. Moreover, most of those orphans completed lower-secondary education and vocational training skills. Orphans who lived with their relatives could also attend schools and most of them attained good education. In summary, we noted that there was the highest number of orphan in our new society compared to the previous regimes, however, in general none of those orphans were homeless or engaged in crime.

Along with this, the work on health sector at that time has started from the scratch. We had to face with many difficulties in re-organizing the health system. Although we have re-organized the hospitals we are lack of materials, equipments, medicines and managers and doctors …etc. At the same time, there were a lot of patients with different types and the most serious case 3 was malaria and malnutrition. In order to solve this problem, friend countries had continually donated, especially since the 1980s we had received the health donation from Soviet Union, India and other Socialist Countries and we had also received more aid from international organizations on which the support from the International Red Cross and UNICEF and some other countries in emergency aid program for Cambodia, including the teams of medical doctors to work in a number of provincial hospitals. Moreover, there were international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and a number of countries have directly helped in building and operating a number of hospitals such as French Aid Organization, World Vision, Swiss Red Cross, Sweden and France…etc. In fact, the aid for health sector at that time was for the necessity and paid more attention to the salvation and restoration of people’s health, but failed to focus more on the capacity and institutional building and other development projects.

The contribution above has continued, but until 1989 the presence of the NGOs had not been more developed yet. Political and economic development in between 1988 and 1991 in Cambodia had considerably contributed to the creation and increase of presence of the NGOs in Cambodia. In 1988 and 1991, there were three main events in Cambodia: (1) the start of peace seeking process through the meeting between Sihanouk and Hun Sen and other subsequent meetings, (2) the withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Cambodia, and (3) the internal reform, especially the process of liberalization towards market economy. These three significant events have contributed significantly to the creation of NGOs in Cambodia. The assistance program of the NGOs to Cambodia has increased double at that time and expanded its scope and targeted areas.

At the mean time, programs of NGOs have been diverted from the short-term to long-term activities. As for the employees of the NGOs have also acted freely in provinces/cities in training government officials and have initiated development projects activities in communes and improve the participation of the local people to be the owner for their development projects.

It should be noted that the development situation of Cambodia have been different in some stages according to the phases of history in between 1989 and 1993 and from 1993 to the present time. In this regard, the progress of NGOs in this new situation is also divided into continuous stages according to the historical evolution. In fact, in 1989 we had about 40 NGOs and in the year 2003 there were more than 300 international agencies and about 20 local NGOs were set up with programs and working activities in the field of human rights, women’s welfare, education and rural development. The presence of international NGOs and the establishment of local NGOs happened at the time of positive signal and hope about peace settlement for Cambodia and the preparation for assembly election organized by UNTAC.

The noticeable issue at that time was the positive progress of peace negotiation process among all rival factions. At that time NGOs that acted in the refugee camps along the border and inside Cambodia had exchanged studies tour in order to study about how to prepare to repatriate Cambodian people living along the border back to the country and had them integrated into the national fold. As a result, NGOs in the border and local NGOs had played significant roles in coordinating the integration of 250, 00 people who were living along the border to come and settle down in Cambodia after the Paris Peace Agreement.

On the other hand, after the Paris Peace Agreement and during the UNTAC period, a lot of NGOs had been created and most of them were created by Cambodian people living abroad and returned back to Cambodia to participate in restoring and rebuilding the nation. Of course, this movement brought back the resources, skills and experiences for Cambodia. However, this movement brought about the increase in many NGOs because of the availability of funds and donors at that time to implement their programs without consulting with the government.

We have noted that in general NGOs have particularly contributed to achieve considerable results in the work of social development and improvement of Cambodia’s prestige in international arena through various programs such as demining, improving gender and women. The valuable contribution of the Cambodian NGOs have been reflected through the active participation in many activities such as preparing the plan of action, and preparing Cambodian women to attend the international conference on women in Beijing in 1996 and the opinion fighting campaign of Cambodian NGOs related to the Ottawa Agreement on Prohibition of Mine Plantation, which became the international law in 1999…etc.

Based on the experiences so far, especially during the decades of 1980s and early 1990s, we have observed that NGOs had tried their best to work hard in partnership with the government. In fact, the Royal Government and NGOs had common objectives which were to enhance the humanitarian principles, respect of human rights and dignity through democracy and socio-economic development. For this objective, partnership between government and NGOs is truly important. Working together for 30 years has allowed us to find many positives points on partnership between government and NGOs, which we all have to pay high attention to for implementation or keeping as a lesson learnt in implementing programs in the future. We have a lot of examples about the good implementation as a partner between the Royal Government and NGOs in many important sectors such as education, health, governance, agriculture and others. For instance, National Education Partnership Organization established in 2000 has contributed significantly in the discussion between the Royal Government and the NGOs on education, research and report publication. MediCam organization, which consists of 121 organizations of the members of organizations in the health sector, has essentially participated in various formal meetings related to the issue of health through which it provided opportunities for NGOs to share in constructing policy in implementing health reform since 1996. Moreover, many other NGOs have been actively working in partnership with the Ministry of Interior in the program of decentralization and de-concentration…etc.

Therefore, there is not doubt that during this new stage, partnership between government, NGOs and people of Cambodia are still crucial for the development of Cambodia. In fact, roles of the NGOs have been evolved in many phases, which include providing aid and salvage, restoring and developing the nation as well as advocacy according to the development situation of the country. Since 1979 until early 1990s, NGOs have been working in many areas such as emergency relief there occurred disaster, capacity and human resource development, human right protection, good governance, technology development, poverty reduction, health education, microfinance, sustainable natural resource management, community development, contribution to national policy formulation and reform programs…etc… Furthermore, the attendance of NGOs at international meetings and forums also significantly promote understanding of Cambodia by international community. For over the last 3 decades, we have noted that international NGOs had change activity direction from direct project implementers into organizations which provide support to and strengthen capacity of local NGOs and civil societies. This is another to-be-welcome tendency of positive change because it makes contribution to capacity building in Cambodia.

At the present, there are up to thousands of NGOs in Cambodia. Some even claimed that Cambodia is the paradise for NGOs. This raises a question about their roles in Cambodia. Indeed, for the last 3 decades along with the evolution and development of the nation, NGOs has undergone many changes both quantitatively and qualitatively. However, the achievement we have made and those positive changes have not eliminated the challenges in management and coordination of activities of NGOs in the framework of democracy and rules of law. We are aware that good democracy must entail the participation of NGOs. Nevertheless, while our democracy becomes more and more matured, NGOs must also go mature along with the system and framework.

In this conference we are together steadfastly committed to build partnership, but we also admit that we would face a number of challenges given a huge number of NGOs. Therefore, while commemorating 30^th anniversary of NGOs in Cambodia, the conference shall also pay great attention to indentifying methods for future joint task as partner by ensuring that all activities and cooperation of NGOs will be conducted in a framework which is transparent, accountable and highly responsible in conformity to the principle of democracy and rule of law and provide maximum benefits to Cambodian people and the whole society. In this spirit, I am of the view that now is a very appropriate time for the government to have “Law on NGOs and Association” in effect as inscribed in the “Rectangular Strategy-Phase II”.

For future partnership, I contend that we are obliged to sharpen our attention to some key dimensions especially building capacity of human resource and institution as well as increasing efficiency of program implementation and grant fund utilization of NGOs who are key elements for socio-economic development and poverty reduction of our people. In this regard, I would like to provide ministry/institutions, authorities of all level and NGOs a number of recommendations to cooperatively center attention to priority goals for short-term and mid-term as follows:

1. Building capacity and raising professional qualification of NGOs through strengthening capacity of institution and personnel and good understanding of law and regulation especially strict adhering to code of conduct and dignity as true coordinator and as service provider to beneficiaries.

2. Increase cooperation for implementing programs by aligning with national development programs through information sharing, discussion for exchanging ideas, division of role and responsibility and participating necessary activities aiming at ensuring those development programs be responsive to real need of the people and help ease the burden of the government.

3. Increase the responsibility and efficiency of fund management before donor, beneficiaries and competence authorities particularly through preparation and dissemination of activity and financial report that reveals efficacy of fund used for project implementation. In this connection, a monitoring and evaluation mechanism shall be established with participation from relevant ministries/institutions especially the Ministry of Interior, local authorities and NGOs themselves in order to review, discuss and evaluate efficiency of grant usage of NGOs as required and regularly.

4. Establishing national and sub-national forum between the government and NGOs. So far we have mechanism for some regular meetings particular at provincial level viz. provincial cabinet and NGOs. In this sense, I would like to request this kind of mechanism be extended to sub-national level to review and discuss progress and contribution of NGOs to development works and strengthen partnership. Along with, the Ministry of Interior should consider creation of forum or a mechanism allowing ministry and NGOs chance to review and discuss development works and bolster partnership.

5. Adhering to the principle of partnership in executing initiatives or programs by giving great attention to the following points:

1) Providing appropriate solutions as demanded by the community and beneficiaries by checking and ensuring that any initiatives or programs of the NGOs share long-term vision and goal that are common or similar to those of the government. Furthermore, means and implementation activities shall be agreed by ministries/institution concerned especially local authorities and provide solution to concrete demand and concern.

2) Promoting the participation of partners in planning and implementing initiatives by reviewing and ascertaining that initiatives and programs of NGOs would be prepared with support and involvement of ministries/institutions concerned especially local authorities as partner with clear division of respective role and responsibility of NGOs and partners as well as demonstrate possible engagement of partner concerned in project monitoring and evaluation.

3) Showing counterpart’s good will for more cooperation by reviewing and ensuring that initiatives and programs of NGOs entail open communication mechanism between all partners with mutual respect.

4) Acknowledging and promoting participation of beneficiaries in any decision making process relating to planning, project implementation and ensuring facilitating mechanism for communication channel between beneficiaries and all partners and giving them opportunity to participate directly project implementation.

I believe that Your Excellencies, ladies, and gentlemen who are the representatives of NGOs will consider the above mentioned recommendations and to try further to increase partnership between the RGC and NGOs and the people of Cambodia aiming at achieving development and poverty reduction according to the National Strategic Development Program and various other reform programs of the RGC.

Before ending my remark, on behalf of the RGC I would like to once again praise Your Excellencies, Lok Chumteav, ladies, and gentlemen who are leaders, and officials of the national and international NGOs as well as development partners and friend countries for joining with the government and people of Cambodia in carrying out humanitarian work and achieving successful and proud outcomes, especially with regard to socio-economic development and poverty reduction during the last 30 years. The RGC very much looking to the humanity spirit of NGOs and the firm and effective partnership with all relevant stakeholders in reducing people’s poverty and promoting national development on a sustainable path within the framework of democracy and state of law with transparency, accountability, and high sense of responsibility for the next 30 years.

Finally, I wish Your Excellencies, ladies, and gentlemen with Four Gems of Buddhist Blessing.

Address at the Opening of the 7th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the 4th ASEAN

Address at the Opening of the 7^th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the 4^th ASEAN plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (7^th AMMTC and 4^th MMTC+3)

Siem Reap, November 17, 2009

Your Excellency, SAR KHENG, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior of the Kingdom of Cambodia,

Your Excellency, Pehin Dato Haji Adanan Yusof, Brunei’s Minister of Home Affairs and the Chairman of the 6^th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting,

Your Excellencies, ASEAN Ministers and Heads of Delegates,

Your Excellencies, Ambassadors to the Kingdom of Cambodia,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, Cambodia and I take great pride in hosting the 7^th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the 4^th ASEAN plus Three on Transnational Crime that will be held for two days. On behalf of the people and the Royal Government of Cambodia, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, heads and members of delegates as well as distinguished national and international guests attending this important meeting.

Once again, may I take this opportunity to congratulate the ASEAN for its achievements, especially the adoption of ASEAN Constitution which reflected the vision of those who founded the ASEAN since 1960s. Moreover, key principles of the ASEAN Constitution are designed to promote and maintain peace, security and stability, streamline pro-peace culture, strengthen democracy, strengthen governance and state of law, protect human rights and dignity, and make ASEAN a drug-free and nuclear-free region, and so forth.

The Constitution’s essence indeed acts as a roadmap for ASEAN members to realize the vision and spirit of the 12^th and 13^th ASEAN Summit on developing its security policy with the following three characteristics, 1) an association that respects the common value and standard based on laws and principles, 2) an association with solidarity, peace, stability, and shared security responsibility, and 3) an association that move forwards in the wake of global integration.

Development cannot be sustained in the absence of peace and security. Security situation can have a great influence on development. Terrorism and transnational crime still remain a big challenge for our region and individual country. Furthermore, global economic crisis, globalization and technological advancement have put direct pressure on security, especially the threat of transnational crime both at regional and global level. Within this spirit, our anti-transnational crime dialogue today is both timely and urgent as we have clearly seen the impact of transnational crime on global and regional growth. Fighting transnational crime, therefore, requires joint effort among all of us. In this connection, the gathering of ASEAN ministers of security and anti-crime affairs can be regarded as a joint search of solutions for transnational crime, which has threatened the people’s life, social security, and economic development.

We all remember the September 11^th event, a crossroad of transnational crime, more particularly, terrorism. This brutal and inhuman act remains to be seen and threatening people around the globe. In this context, ASEAN, as a regional organization, has long been alerted and established necessary mechanisms for fighting and preventing transnational crime. These legal mechanisms include:

The ongoing Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime, the Senior Official Meeting on Transnational Crime, and some other appointed Organizational Meetings such as the ASEAN Police Chief Meeting and Senior Official Meeting on Drug. These forums have directly served the efforts made by each member states and the common efforts of ASEAN in fighting against all kinds of transnational crimes.

It should be noted that tremendous successes that ASEAN has achieved, especially the fighting against transnational crimes cannot be separated from the closer cooperation that ASEAN has built so far with partners, in particular with the plus three countries such as China, Japan and Korea. This valuable relation and cooperation along with the serving mutual interest, have clearly shown the vision of ASEAN as a regional organization, in building network with various partners in the world, including the United Nations, European International Criminal Police Organization aiming to become a unified global forces to solve global issues such as transnational crimes, which we recognized that it could happen anywhere with no boundary.

In fact, the result of the cooperation between ASEAN and the plus three countries, especially the implementation of the prepared plan of action, has achieved fruitful results by complementing the needed human resources, capacity building for investigation and technology as well as the exchange of practical experiences in the forums organized so far, is the actual needs of ASEAN members state including Cambodia. The continuous monitoring of various mechanisms for the implementation of the plan of action of the plus three and the building of partnership between ASAEAN and the plus three countries will make the possibility, capacity, and efficiency of the fight against transnational crimes between ASEAN and the plus three countries more fruitful.

At the same time, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the results of the Ministerial Meeting between the United Nations and International Criminal Police Organization and the 78^th Conference organized in Singapore on 11-14 October 2009, which issued a ministerial declaration on the need to integrate the roles and responsibilities of the police in the mission to maintain peace of the United Nations in the countries that have just recovered from the conflict and war, in which the detailed plan of action will be submitted for discussion during the United Nations Forum in the future before adoption.

In this regard, based on the Cambodia’s direct experience from the war and with the presence of the peace keeping mission of the United Nations, it has clearly shown that the key to effective peace keeping mission is to primarily paid attention to the implementation of law, social order and basic freedom of the people and their rivals involved in the conflict and war, those roles which belong to the police force. In this spirit, we can understand that in maintaining national security, social order and transnational cooperation, the police still have an extra responsibility, which is to participate in the peace keeping mission of the United Nations. The receiving of this new obligation requires the support in political will from the member states and mobilizing appropriate resources for the training of the police forces to be deployed for this humanitarian mission.

The kingdom of Cambodia, as a member of ASEAN, has been integrating itself in all sectors according to the context of the globalization in order to strengthen good governance, ensure social stability and the development of national economy, aiming to fully participate in the process of nation building and cooperating with ASEAN member states based on the vision as set out in the ASEAN charter. Similar to some other countries that the threat of the transnational crimes can be an obstacle in realizing this objective, therefore Cambodia so far has been highly committed to preparing legal framework and proper operating mechanism to prevent, investigate and suppress the transnational crimes as follows:

1. Legal Framework

Realizing the inter-connectedness of the transnational crimes and the need of law enforcement agency, Cambodia has prepared “Law on Terrorism”, “Law on Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing”, “Law on Management and Control of Drugs”, “Law on the Management of Explosives”, and “Criminal Code Law”, which have been recently adopted by the National Assembly…etc. These important laws have been adopted by the National Assembly and have been promulgated by the King of the Kingdom of Cambodia, that through the efforts made by the national police of Cambodia and the related law enforcement agencies as well as the international cooperation makes us succeed in the work of preventing general crimes, investigate and crack down criminal organizations and a number of international terrorism networks. At the same time, Cambodia has been adhering to international legal frameworks by being signatory member of the 12 United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols in conducting investigation and combating transnational crimes and fill out any possible loophole which might exist the context of Cambodian law.

2. Operating Mechanism

In addition to implementing reforms and building operational capacity of police force and law enforcement agencies, Cambodia has been paying great attention to domestic inter-agency cooperation by establishing “National Committee for Counter Terrorism”, “National Anti-Drug Authority”, “National Committee on Management of Weapons, Explosives and Ammunition” and “National Committee for Combating Trafficking, Smuggling, and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Women” …etc. These mechanisms have so far coordinated and actively implement their works and made remarkable achievements. These mechanisms have also promoted the cooperation of inter-agencies who are members and international operating partners in the same areas in exchange of information and experience at the regional and international forums as well as human resource development which are the key factors in controlling transnational crime situation that is changing very rapidly due to modern technology and globalization at the present.

Close cooperation between law enforcement agencies of member states in the region and the world, coupled with domestic inter-agency cooperation, will enable us to be successful in preventing, investigating and combating transnational crimes.

The ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (7th AMMTC) and the Fourth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime + Three (4th AMMTC+3) are the evidence reflecting our commitment and strong will to seek all methods and common strategy to protect national security and lives of our innocent people from the intrusion of ruthless and criminal groups.

I strongly believe that all assigned organizations of ASEAN will continue to closely cooperate with one another to facilitate active participation of all member states of ASEAN toward realizing those visions as set out in the ASEAN Charter.

Before closing, I would like to thank Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen who are heads and delegates of ASEAN member states and the Plus Three countries, China, Japan and South Korea, international and national guests who participate in the Seventh ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (7th AMMTC) and the Fourth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime Plus Three (4th AMMTC+3), and wish all of you a comfortable stay in Cambodia and a chance to visit Angkor Wat, the magnificent Khmer’s heritage.

May I now announce the opening of the meeting and wish it a fruitful success.

Remarks at the 1st Meeting of the Leaders of ASEAN and the United States of America

Singapore, 15^th November 2009

(15:15 – 16:30)

Excellency Chairman,

Your Majesty the Sultan,

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!

I would like to join the ASEAN Leaders in extending the warmest welcome to the President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Obama, to the first historic meeting of the leaders of ASEAN and the United States of America. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. President on the recent Noble Peace Prize. Indeed, under the leadership of Mr. President Barack Obama, the new foreign policy of the United States of America "Engagement Approach" has enabled positive changes in the world politics and security.

Exchange of views on regional and international issues

This meeting has indeed elevated the ASEAN-US Strategic Partnership to a higher level in ensuring peace, stability and prosperity in the region. Cambodia highly appreciates the accession by the United States of America to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). I would like also to commend the high commitment of the United States of America to the peaceful process of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. We hope that the six-party talk will resume in the near future. Cambodia also highly appreciates the joint efforts made by the United States of America and ASEAN in ensuring a free and fair election in Myanmar in 2010.

Global Economic and Financial Crisis

There are indications that the unprecedented and tremendous fiscal and monetary measures implemented by the G20 countries, especially the United States of America, together with the stimulus package implemented in East Asia, have mitigated the impacts of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and produced positive results, in a coordinated, timely and effective response to the crisis, while avoiding political tensions and social disruption. In this regard, we sincerely congratulate the United States of America for successfully and rapidly coming out of the economic recession during a short period of time. This is a positive sign for the global recovery, which is vital for the Cambodian economy, as well as for countries in the region, as our garment exports rely mainly on the US demand.

Indeed, this current global financial crisis presents opportunity for ASEAN and the United States of America to strengthen its cooperation and deepen regional integration in the areas of finance, trade and investment, agriculture and tourism. In this connection, I would like to welcome new initiatives which aimed to promote cooperation and partnership between ASEAN and the United States under ASEAN-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. Cambodia also welcomes the support of the United States of America in building ASEAN Connectivity and narrowing the development gap in ASEAN, especially the support provided by the United States of America to the Mekong countries.

Climate Change, Disaster Management, Food and Energy Security

We all have realized the strong correlation between climate change and natural disasters. We also acknowledge that in order to tackle the issue, we must strike a right balance between socio-economic development and environment protection. It is true that the fight against natural disasters requires close cooperation to strengthen each country’s preparedness and capacity. Furthermore, food security is a long-term and critical issue which requires all countries joint cooperation. The rising of food prices has negatively impacted on the poor and vulnerable group, who has faced food shortages and malnutrition. Nevertheless, this also presents new opportunity for some countries in the region that have high potential in agriculture sector such as Cambodia. As an agricultural country, Cambodia welcomes investment in infrastructure, transfer of technology and technical assistance to boost agricultural productivity.

At the same time, the future demand for energy will increase commensurably with economic growth of countries around the world. The uncertainty of the energy market has made bio-fuels an important area for development. However, the development of bio-fuels requires a right balance between land use for food and bio-fuel production. Furthermore, we need to sufficiently invest in R&D in order to improve the efficiency of energy use as well as the development of clean energy.

Cambodia thinks that the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) should receive reasonable support from developed countries to address these challenges. In this context, Cambodia considers that the United States of America can provide financing, transfer of technology and hard-ware in order to strengthen the capacity in disaster management, the development of clean energy, food security and to tackle other environment issues. In this regard, I would like to request the United States of America to further enhance cooperation on Climate Change, Energy and Food Security, and the Environment which are our common concerns and materialize this cooperation though action plan and its implementation.

Speeches Delivered by Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo during the Trip to Japan for the First Mekong-Japan Summit

[A] Remark at the Opening Ceremony of First Mekong-Japan Summit

Tokyo, Japan, 6^th November 2009

(Session 1: 17h30 -19h00)

Your Excellency Chairman,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!

I feel utmost privileged to attend this first Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo. I would like to express our deep gratitude to H.E. Yukio Hatoyama for the warmest hospitality provided to my delegation and for the excellent arrangements of this meeting.

On this occasion, I highly appreciate H.E. Yukio Hatoyama for giving special priority to declaring the formal partnership between the Mekong region and Japan through this important summit in Tokyo, while His Excellency had just recently assumed the premiership. This is clearly an evidence of no change in the priority of Japan’s foreign and international cooperation policy toward East Asia and ASEAN, and especially, the Mekong region. Thus I would like to join Mekong leaders to once again congratulate H.E. Yukio Hatoyama for his new role as Prime Minister of Japan and Chair of this first ever summit.

I highly appreciate Japan’s important role, as a leading development partner, in promoting development and contributing to strengthened peace and stability in the region. Over the past several years, we note that the relations and cooperation in all areas between Mekong countries and Japan have been progressing remarkably. Thus, I would like to welcome the successful outcomes in implementing the initiatives launched in the past such as the “Japan-Mekong Partnership Program 2007-2009” and the “Mekong-Japan Exchange Year 2009”.

I wish to indicate that the Mekong-Japan Exchange Year 2009 has realized many exchange activities in a range of sectors including politics, economy, culture and tourism. Undoubtedly, the achievement of the Exchange Year has ensured this first Mekong-Japan Summit, which is being convened in the last year of “Japan-Mekong Region Partnership Program”, and is flipping a new page for the first critical step of Mekong-Japan fundamental cooperation framework in the spirit of “Together toward the future”.

Moreover, I would like to welcome the success of the first Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Tokyo in 2008 and the second Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Siem Reap in 2009, which established important foundations for this first Mekong-Japan Summit.

Finally, I wish our dialogue in this two-day summit be successful and fruitful for our cooperative efforts to build an open, peaceful and prosperous Mekong region, and for ensuring stronger collaboration of mutual benefits between Japan and Mekong region while actively contributing to the efforts of ASEAN integration over the short to medium term and that of East Asia over the long rum./.

[B] Remark at the First Mekong-Japan Summit: “Promoting Comprehensive Development in the Mekong Region”

Tokyo, Japan, 6^th November 2009

(Session 1: 17h30 -19h00)

Your Excellency Chairman,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Cambodia has been taking a longer view about development in the Mekong region that encompasses social, economic and political aspects. In this sense, regional integration and sustainability are key success factors, and it should aim at reducing the development gaps among member states by taking into consideration of social and environmental implications in order to build a sustainable and harmonized regional community.

So far, I have noted that Mekong region countries and Japan have been making remarkable progress in many areas by implementing programmes within regional and bilateral frameworks. Indeed, Japan had played an important role in successfully promoting growth and prosperity in ASEAN countries during 1980s, and Japan is now playing its new role in 21st century in maintaining peace, stability and economic growth and sustainability in the Mekong region by bringing in investment, technology, knowledge and know-how which are undeniably even more critical.

Living in the era of globalization and fully acknowledging the importance of regional integration, we have established quite a number of regional initiatives under multilateral and bilateral frameworks. In this regard, we must ensure that adding this new framework will complement and make existing frameworks more comprehensive in order to sustain regional peace, stability and prosperity.

At the same time, I am of the view that the development of infrastructure in the East-West Economic Corridor and Southern Economic Corridor, which are comprehensive projects aiming at linking key transport networks as well as cross-border trade between Mekong region countries, will definitely contribute to economic growth, reducing development gap and promoting broader integration of the region as a whole. All these will promote deeper enforcement of Cross-Border Trade Agreement (CBTA) and become a mechanism to make public private partnership more efficient and effective. Thus, I would like to request the summit to pay more attention to materializing this vision because these development works have not been fully implemented. Particularly, infrastructure such as bridges, roads and other physical infrastructures of Southern Economic Corridor including in Cambodia have not been fully developed. Thus, the first Mekong Japan Summit should focus on and guide the dialogue to work out financing arrangements for priority development projects though they require huge investments. Taking this opportunity, on behalf of Cambodian people, I am very pleased with Japan’s pledge to financing the construction of Neak Leung Bridge. I strongly believe that Japan will consider starting this project very soon, given its strategic importance in linking Southern Economic Corridor.

Based on the cooperation framework laid out, we will be able to transform the “Mekong-Japan Exchange Year 2009” into a key mechanism for the promotion of exchange and mutual understanding of culture of each country.

Moreover, Cambodia strongly believes that the first Mekong Japan Summit, along with the Agreement on Liberalization, Promotion and Protection of Investment between Japan and the Kingdom of Cambodia, which already made into effect, will pave ways and provide business opportunities to and trust among Japanese investors to make more investments in Cambodia./.

[C] Remarks at the Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting

November 7, 2009

(Session 2: 09:00-10:30)

Your Excellency Chairman,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!

I would like to reiterate my heartfelt thanks and congratulation to the Government of Japan for organizing this important summit.

I. Addressing Challenges Endangering Human Dignity

I believe this Summit will further promote actual implementation of the Mekong-Japan cooperation that will translate our visions into specific development activities, by transforming the Mekong region into industrial corridors, enhancing national and regional competitiveness, developing complementary industrial structure and efficient transport system, and reducing the costs of transport and that of doing business.

However, the results of our efforts to realize those objectives have been occasionally undermined in a short period of time, and the hard-earned well-being of our people could disappear immediately due to the natural calamities which have been beyond our control. Recently, a number of countries, including Cambodia, have suffered from natural disasters such as the Ketsana and Milor typhoons, earthquakes in Indonesia and flooding in India. Not long time ago the Nagi cyclone seriously destroyed Myanmar.

We all are aware of the close relationship between climate change and natural calamities. We also realize that, to address these issues, we have to strike an appropriate balance between socio-economic development and environmental protection. Thus our key initiatives such as “A Decade for Green Mekong” and the “Hatoyama Initiative” have not only contributed to our collective responsibility for sustainable development, but also addressed disaster management of global climate change by working together to improve biodiversity and resilience to natural disasters through reforestation, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the principle of “common, but differentiated responsibility”. In this sense, I believe Japan will continue its assistance to strengthening the capacity of the Mekong River Commission (MRC).

Indeed, addressing calamities requires our close cooperation in order to strengthen each country’s preparedness and capacity. In this context, we are of the view that Japan is capable of providing financial assistance and technology transfer and equipment to ensure adequate capacity for effective natural disaster management, clean energy development, biodiversity improvement, forestry and fisheries management, and pollution control management system and so on...

Moreover, the Royal Government of Cambodia is looking forward to deepening cooperation with the Government of Japan to address the vulnerabilities of people by reducing poverty, narrowing economic gaps, improving public health and balanced development in the Mekong Region. In this spirit, I believe that Japan and Mekong countries will also pay attention to cross-border pandemics such as the spread of H1N1 influenza and other communicable diseases especially through the cooperation in stockpiling medicines and vaccines as well as strengthening capacity to fight the pandemics.

In this regard, Cambodia warmly welcomes Japan’s assistance under the ASEAN-Japan Integration Fund provided to ASEAN countries that are vulnerable to the global economic and financial crisis, in particular the Mekong countries. This assistance focuses on a number of important sectors, such as regions vulnerable to natural disasters and preparedness to fight pandemics.

II. Promoting Cooperation and Exchanges

The Royal Government of Cambodia is ready to proactively participate in Mekong-Japan Cooperation Framework on promoting human resource exchange programs, especially among youth, people to people exchange and other programs such as training and knowledge and experience sharing, as well as scholarship for students of the Mekong region.

In this context, Cambodia highly appreciates and compliments the effort of Japan’s ODA to assure safety of tourists that create the image of Safety and Security of Mekong, that in turn, will increase the number of national and international tourists, especially Japanese, to come to the region.

Moreover, strengthening cooperation and exchange would contribute to the protection of cultural heritage through learning and improving knowledge on culture, custom and dignity of each nation that may lead to mutual respect on sovereignty. The RGC is ready for knowledge and experience sharing among experts, especially in conservation of cultural heritage. Taking this opportunity, Cambodia deeply thanks Japan for providing technical and financial support for the rehabilitation and conservation of the Angkor Temple. Moreover, Cambodia strongly hopes to receive similar cooperation and support from Japan for the rehabilitation and conservation of the Preah Vihear temple, contributing to the conservation and development of this unique world heritage.

III. Agenda on exchanging ideas about regional and global issues

I think that Mekong-Japan Summit reflects Japan’s policy of strengthening and expanding regional cooperation and interdependence between Mekong countries and Japan. I believe that through this summit Japan becomes closer to the Mekong region and the Mekong-Japan Partnership Programs will help fill in many requirements in building the future of Asia, including promoting culture interactions and institutional linkages that could response to economic and financial crisis and implement some initiatives for economic growth of the Mekong in particular and Asia as a whole.

Moreover, I appreciate and compliment the contribution of Japan in enhancing confidence, peace and stability of the region, especially my high commitment goes to the denuclearizing process in the Korean peninsula. Cambodia hopes that the six-party talk could be reconvened soon to seek positive resolution to protect the region from a nuclear danger. In this regard, Cambodia would like to appeal to all parties to respect the Joint Declaration of the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula dated February 13^th, 2007 and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718 dated April 14^th, 2006.

The Royal Government of Cambodia welcomes Japan’s vision of the Mekong region and is ready for cooperation under a relevant framework in the Asia and Pacific region. In this context, Cambodia agrees with the idea of turning it into the region of stability, peace and socio-economic development. Moreover, we have to utilize the best of our social and economic resources to achieve regional integration and bring peace and prosperity to our people./.

[D] Remark at the Closing Ceremony of Mekong-Japan Summit

7th November 2009

Tokyo, Japan,

Your Excellency Chairman,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!

I am very pleased to note that the leaders of the Mekong Region countries and Japan actively engaged in very fruitful dialogue and exchange for the past two days, and achieved substantial results for the common cause of strengthening and extending cooperation in all areas between Mekong region and Japan. Indeed, we have demonstrated our shared vision of the Mekong region and the Mekong-Japan relationship, which will shape the future direction of our strengthened and extended cooperation.

Moreover, I would like to commend Japan for producing the Tokyo Declaration and Mekong Japan Action Plan which is comprehensive and is aimed at bolstering and extending the relationship and partnership between the Mekong region and Japan. The main thrust of this action plan constitutes the deepening economic integration for which special focus be given to promoting comprehensive development in order to reduce development disparities in the region, and to address the challenges related to our cooperation and shared ideas on regional and global issues aiming at ensuring peace, prosperity and dignity of our people.

While a number of countries have been affected by the adverse impacts of climate change such as typhoon and flooding which claimed lives of hundreds people and damaged considerable property and wealth in several countries in the Mekong region including Cambodia, we all agree on the need to maintain a balance between economic growth and environmental preservation in order to achieve sustainable development objective.

The development of Mekong region is at the heart of ASEAN and East Asian community, as it will significantly narrow the development gap within ASEAN, and becomes a pre-condition of economic integration and securing peace and stability in the Mekong region, ASEAN and East Asia.

Before closing, I would like to reiterate the spirit of “Together toward the future” which will be the spirit of development in the Mekong region in the 21^st century. On behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Cambodian people, I would like to express our heart-felt thanks to the Government and People of Japan for providing their continuous support for the causes of peace, stability, development and prosperity of Cambodia and other countries in the Mekong region./.

[E] Remarks at the Gala Dinner, 1^st Mekong-Japan Summit

Tokyo, Japan, November 6, 2009
(19:30 – 21:00)

Your Excellency Chairman,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

In this marvelous and friendly atmosphere, I am most privileged and honored, on behalf of Mekong region’s leaders, to express our deep gratitude to His Excellency Prime Minister YUKIO HATOYAMA for hosting this banquet to celebrate the first and momentous Mekong-Japan Summit. Taking this opportunity, I would like to congratulate the Government of Japan for the excellent arrangements of the 1^st Mekong-Japan Summit. In particular, I highly appreciate the able chairmanship of this Summit by His Excellency Prime Minister YUKIO HATOYAMA, which has brought tangible outcomes for our cooperation. Thus, I wish to congratulate the Chair and express our full satisfaction with the outcomes of the Summit’s first session.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to welcome Japan’s role in promoting “New Partnership for the Common Flourishing Future” between Japan and Mekong region countries in order to accelerate development in Mekong region and further strengthen Mekong-Japan cooperation. In this spirit, I welcome “Future Vision of Mekong Region and Mekong-Japan Relationship” which focuses on promoting regional openness, peace and stability, bringing about sustainable and environmentally friendly development to the region, and eliminating threat against humankind and human dignity. Along with this, this vision will indeed promote growth in the Mekong region and contribute to ASEAN integration effort and pave the way for an East Asia Community in the long run.

I would like to reiterate Mekong region countries’ readiness for deepening cooperation with the Government of Japan to address vulnerability of the people by reducing poverty incidence, narrowing development gaps, improving health and education services, exchanging human resources, addressing environmental problems, bettering disaster management, fighting and preventing pandemics, and ensuring balanced development in the Mekong region.

I am optimistic that the actual implementation of “Future Vision of Mekong Region and Mekong-Japan Relationship” will provide substantial contribution to our effort of transforming our region into a pole of sustainable development, peace, prosperity, and harmony for everyone.

Within this spirit, I would like to invite Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen to raise your glass to our new partnership cooperation, the common prosperity for our people and countries, and good health of His Excellency Prime Minister YUKIO HATOYAMA, the Heads of Government of the Mekong Countries and all Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen here present.

[F] Address at the Luncheon Hosted by Nippon Keidanren and Nippon Shoko Kaigisho

Tokyo, November 6th, 2009.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my great honour and pleasure to be in Japan once again. On behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia and on my own, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the Government of Japan and the People of Japan for its invitation and warm hospitality. I also would like to sincerely thank the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nippon Shoko Kaigisho) for hosting this Luncheon for me and my delegation, taking advantage for our presence during this historic First Mekong-Japan Summit.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere and profound gratitude to the Government and People of Japan for their continued support to Cambodia through the provision of grants and concessional loans as well as for encouraging Japanese investors and tourists to come to Cambodia. This priceless support is critical for our current as well as future development and has enabled the economy to move forwards at a faster pace. Japanese FDIs have not only provided financial resources but have brought about much more benefits such as job creation and transfer of technologies and know-how which will help Cambodia to improve its productivity and increase its competitiveness in the international market.

Cambodia has gone through a rapid transition in many regards, by starting from scratch and civil war and eventually reaching the current situation in which the country enjoys peace, political and macro-economic stability and social progress. This favorable environment is prerequisite for future growth and prosperity of Cambodia. Based on this solid foundation, Cambodia has integrated itself into the region and the world and engaged in both bilateral and multilateral cooperation, especially on bilateral with Japan both in the political, economic, cultural, trade and investment fronts.

Cambodia is a country which Government welcomes public private partnership and is paying great attention to the business environment and promotes private sector competitiveness. The Royal Government of Cambodia considers the Private Sector as the engine of growth while its own role is to be the strategist and manager of the development, and to ensure stability, transparency and predictability. In that spirit, in 1999, the Royal Government of Cambodia has initiated a dialogue mechanism with the Private Sector aiming at: Firstly, to provide a Forum for consultation with the Private Sector on the new initiatives of the Government, Secondly, to be a mechanism to address issues facing by the Private Sector in its operation. The Government-Private Sector Forum is held twice a year under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister himself and its deliberations are considered as an enlarged cabinet meeting. Since its inception, the Forum has been convened 14 times. Through this mechanism, the Royal Government has solved many business and investment issues. In this connection, I strongly encourage Japanese investors in Cambodia to participate actively in this dialogue mechanism.

Cambodia has opened its economy for Foreign Direct Investments in all sectors including banking, insurance, telecommunications when in many countries, in such sectors, foreign investors are not allowed to control 100% of the shareholdership, without local participation requirement.

The Royal Government of Cambodia has embarked in multiple reform programs including public finances management, governance by focusing on land management, public administration, legal and judiciary system. Concerning the latter, the Royal Government has achieved encouraging progress, many trade and investments related laws have been adopted and implemented.

With regards to sectors such as agriculture, agro-industry, infrastructures, labor intensive industries, export oriented industries, oil and gas, mining and tourism, Cambodia still offers many investment opportunities.

We recognized that still more need to be done. We are fully aware that many challenges are ahead of us but our successful past experience told us that Cambodia is moving in the right direction. Lessons drawn from our past shortcomings will help us to overcome the obstacles and challenges in our journey towards a better future. We are strongly committed to pursue our efforts to improve the investment environment in order to make Cambodia an attractive FDIs destination within the region. Taking this opportunity, I wish to recall that the Agreement on the liberalization, Promotion and Protection of Investments between Cambodia and Japan has been signed since June 14^th, 2007. Indeed, the economic development of the country requires concerted efforts from the government, the business community and development partners. In this spirit, along with our efforts to provide an enabling environment by focusing on the streamlining of legal and administrative procedures, the reduction of business transaction costs and the fight against corruption, the Royal Government has recently adopted concrete measures and made further efforts aiming at attracting Japanese FDIs as follows: first- Cooperation with JICA to better promote Cambodia’s investment opportunities, second- the establishment of a Japanese Desk within our investment promotion agency, namely the Council for the Development of Cambodia, and third- the establishment of a 70 hectares special economic zone located next to our deep sea port of Sihanoukville, thanks to a concessional loan from Japan. This special economic zone will hopefully attract more Japanese investors in the coming years.

As an outcome of the First Mekong-Japan Summit, Leaders of the Mekong countries and of Japan are expected to adopt and implement a “New Partnership for the Common Flourishing Future” between Japan and the Mekong countries which is about a closer and more comprehensive cooperation. This commitment and its subsequent Mekong-Japan Plan of Action will contribute to create additional investment opportunities in Cambodia.

Before closing, I wish to invite Japanese businessmen and investors to come and visit Cambodia in order to assess by themselves the opportunities. On behalf of the Royal Government, I would like to guarantee to all investors a favorable and conducive investment environment. Finally, I would like to wish your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen here present Happiness, Prosperity and Success in all your endeavors./.