Day: July 21, 2022

Cambodia and Japan have pledged to further strengthen the cooperation on justice and legal sector.

The pledge was made in a meeting between H.E. Koeut Rith, Minister of Justice and H.E. KADA Hiroyuki, Parliamentary Vice Minister of Justice of Japan here in Phnom Penh on July 19.

H.E. Koeut Rith briefed H.E. KADA Hiroyuki on legal and judicial collaboration between the two countries through the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFEI).

UNAFEI has provided technical support and training on criminal sector to law enforcement officers, he said.

The minister thanked the Japanese Ministry of Justice’s International Cooperation Department (ICD) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for their continuation of legal and justice development project (2022-2027) phase VI in Cambodia.

He also expressed his support for the organisation of ASEAN-Japan Justice Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for August in Tokyo.

The meeting will coincide with the 70th anniversary of Cambodia-Japan relations and the 50th anniversary of Japan-ASEAN relations, he added.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press

Though foreseeing potential challenges ahead, Cambodia as ASEAN Chair remains committed to address the pending regional issue on the South China Sea.

The intention was unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.E. Prak Sokhonn when giving an exclusive interview to AKP on Tuesday.

The objective stands as a priority of Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen as 2022 marks 20 years of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), said the Deputy Prime Minister adding that it is long enough to transform the declaration into a code of conduct for regional peace and stability.

The Code of Conduct for the South China Sea (COC) with which all concerned countries including Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam can comply is badly needed to avoid violation and confrontation among them.

The code of conduct, he continued, could have been agreed upon in the previous years, but it was delayed as countries were occupied with the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea was signed in Phnom Penh when Cambodia was ASEAN chair.

The deputy prime minister foresaw potential tension due to different views among concerned countries when finalising the code.

However, he has faith in political will among all parties to address the issue peacefully that will allow the code to be signed off.

Another advantage is that the code of conduct has been a working draft for nearly two decades, so its content and comprehensiveness has been enriched, making it a more practical guide for compliance.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press

Cambodia and Thailand have reached early this week in Bangkok, Thailand a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Logistics aiming to establish a framework of cooperation in the spirit of mutual understanding and goodwill and to enhance closer friendship ties between both countries in the field of logistics.

The signatories were H.E. Ms. Koy Sodany, Secretary of State for Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) of Cambodia, and Mr. Danucha Pichayanan, Secretary General of National Economic and Social Development Council of Thailand.

Both sides discussed and shared each other background of preparation and implementation of policy on logistics sector development, including the launch of transport infrastructure development policy and logistics as prioritised and most necessary sector for socio-economic development.

H.E. Koy Sodany informed the Thai side about attention and effort of the MPWT in drafting the Master Plan on multipurpose transport connectivity and logistics in Cambodia, adding the Master Plan also includes hard and soft infrastructure development projects like projects of road, railway, expressway, waterway, maritime road, port, airport and logistics infrastructure development which needs some US$50 billion for a ten-year period.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press

Cambodia this morning registered 20 new cases of COVID-19, all of locally transmitted Omicron variant; bringing the tally to 136,532, according to a press release of the Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, it continued, 18 more patients have recovered while there is no new death; the total cured cases and death toll stood at 133,352 and 3,056, respectively.

The Kingdom began to register new cases of COVID-19 since June 29, 2022 after 52 days of zero infection.

Recently, Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen appealed to his compatriots to increase their vigilance against the COVID-19 pandemic as the Omicron subvariants – BA.4 and BA.5 – are spreading in the country.

The Premier reaffirmed that there will be no closure of towns, schools and markets, but urged once again his fellow citizens to adhere to the health safety rules, particularly the “Three Dos, Three Don’ts” measure and to get vaccinated, both the basic and booster doses.

The first COVID-19 case was detected in Cambodia in late January 2020 in Preah Sihanouk province.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in his capacity as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair has reiterated his continued commitment for the resolution of Myanmar’s crisis, even though there are less than six months left for him.

“As mandated, I will do everything at my disposal to facilitate a constructive dialogue, to promote trust and confidence, and to alleviate the suffering of the innocent people through the provision of humanitarian assistance and vaccines. We can only act as a neutral bridge for all conflicting parties to rely on. But all these things require time, understanding and foremost strategic patience,” he told the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Special Discussion held on July 21 via Videoconference.

H.E. Prak Sokhonn said halfway into Cambodia’s ASEAN Chairmanship, so much has happened in the region and beyond.

Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen has made an ice-breaking trip to Myanmar and held two additional bilateral meetings with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in a virtual format. As for him, he paid his first visit to Myanmar as the Special Envoy, in March. As one of the results of that visit, Cambodia managed to convene the Consultative Meeting on the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance to Myanmar last May in Phnom Penh. Then he made the 2nd visit to Myanmar earlier this month. “Of course, we have communicated on the progress of the 5PC implementation at various events and through press releases and press conferences, but today’s special discussion will allow me to give you more information and dispel some misperceptions,” he said.

Without a doubt, Cambodia’s approaches to resolving the Myanmar crisis have had mixed reactions from both ASEAN pundits and the international community, he added.

“Some have praised Cambodia for trying its best to deliver on its mandate. Others, more cynical and with higher expectations, have viewed our efforts as yielding too little progress,” he said.

H.E. Prak Sokhonn said, either way, and regardless of both external and internal pressures, Cambodia went ahead with a clear appreciation that the crisis is deeply-rooted in complex historical and political issues. “Our approach was therefore driven by a certain pragmatism and we chose a step-by-step approach to tackle these issues,” he stressed.

The Special Envoy said his first working visit to Myanmar in March 2022 has enabled him to grab a better understanding of the situation on the ground and address many operational challenges with regards to the delivery of Humanitarian assistance, while his second mission enabled him to take appropriate steps to bring progress on the three immediate priorities for the implementation of the 5PC, namely: (1) Cessation or reduction of violence; (2) Delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people in need in a non-discriminatory manner; and (3) Creation of a conducive environment for inclusive dialogue and political trust among all parties concerned.

“I shall start with the second priority. We have found more common grounds to push forward the delivery of humanitarian assistance. This is an area where I see the most visible progress. It is probably because this humanitarian assistance work is by nature not a political issue and have no or little political implications,” underlined the Special Envoy.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press