Day: February 21, 2024

China Metro Group, conducting feasibility studies on two light rail transit projects, has reported a positive progress of its studies, reaffirming its bold commitment to make the projects successful.

The commitment was made by Mr. Li Kuo, Director General of the China Metro Group, in a meeting here on Wednesday with H.E. Peng Ponea, Minister of Public Works and Transport.

Mr. Li Kuo briefed H.E. Minister about the positive progress of the studies on two light rail transit development projects in Phnom Penh capital and Siem Reap cultural province.

The firm has been granted right to conduct feasibility studies on, first, the light rail transit project connecting Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport to Siem Reap provincial city and second, the light train transit project linking Techo Takhmao International Airport to Phnom Penh capital.

‘China Metro Group demonstrates good will and commitment to promote light rail transit system in Cambodia,’ the ministry said.

H.E Peng Ponea welcomed and lauded the posit
ive progress of China Metro Group’s studies on the light rail transit system in Cambodia.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse

Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet said the Royal Government of Cambodia has no cash to put in the citizens’ pocket, but will strive to create more jobs and secure the sustainable labour market.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Techo Sen Building and the closing ceremony of the annual meeting of the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI) held at the ministry this afternoon, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet said securing the labour market is the main duty of the ministry and other stakeholders if we want Cambodia to achieve the upper middle-income status by 2030 and become a high-income economy by 2050.

‘We welcome large companies, but don’t ignore small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which is the foundation for our economy […], so I’d like to ask the ministry and the private sector to further assist the SMEs,’ he underlined.

At the same time, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet once again encouraged the informal economic businesses to register to be formal.

‘We have to
build a big foundation and relation between the informal and formal enterprises as well as other actors to make our economic stronger and stronger,’ the Premier stressed.

According to H.E. Hem Vandy, Minister of MISTI, by 2023, there were 2,125 large factories in operation, an increase of 7.21 percent compared to 2022, of which 241 were newly-established in 15 provinces and capital, generating over 1,04 million job opportunities.

The total investment capital in 2023 reached more than US$18.56 billion, a year-on-year increase of 11.24 percent, while the total value of production volume was recorded at over US$16.36 billion, up 3.35 percent.

H.E. Hem Vandy said the Cambodian economy will continue to grow at around 6.6 percent this year, which will be supported by a number of key economic sectors, including industry.

The Kingdom’s industrial sector is expected to rise at about 8.5 percent compared to 2023, while the textile sector is projected to grow at some 7.7 percent thanks to the expected recovery of th
e garment sub-sector, and the non-garment manufacturing sub-sector will continue to maintain strong growth, H.E. Minister said.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse

H.E. Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice President of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), received here on Feb. 21 a courtesy call from H.E. Ms. Devyani Uttam Khobragade, Indian Ambassador to Cambodia, to discuss the deepening of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

In the meeting, both sides stressed India’s support for infrastructure development projects in Cambodia, facilitation of direct flights from India to Cambodia, and acceleration of procedures for the establishment of Cambodia-India free trade agreement.

H.E. Sun Chanthol asked the Indian Embassy for cooperation on enabling Cambodian delegation to travel to India to meet Indian investors and show them the main potential that make them choose Cambodia as their investment destination.

He also laid stress on Cambodia’s potential master plan for Indian investors to examine the feasibility of selecting their investment projects from the Comprehensive Intermodal Transport and Logistics System Master Plan 2023-2
033, a collection of seven integrated master plans, including road, railway, waterway, port, logistics, air transport, and intermodal transport master plans.

After observing the good cooperation between Cambodia and other countries toward the establishment of special economic zones, such as the Cambodia-Japan Special Economic Zone, the Cambodia-UK Green Special Economic Zone, H.E. Ms. Devyani Uttam Khobragade expressed her interest to see Cambodia-India special economic zone with technology investment projects as a core.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse

Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Supreme Privy Council to His Majesty the King and President of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has invited H.E. Mrs. Paetongtarn ‘Ung-Ing’ Shinawatra, President of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, to pay a visit to Cambodia in mid-March.

The invitation was extended to the Pheu Thai party leader during Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s visit to H.E. Thaksin Shinawatra, his godbrother, in Bangkok, Thailand this morning.

‘I came to visit my godbrother at home in Bangkok. Despite his illness, H.E. Thaksin received us as brothers with the participation of Ung-Ing, his youngest daughter and the President of Pheu Thai Party. To strengthen our friendship, I invited Ung-Ing to visit Cambodia on Mar. 14-15, 2024,’ wrote the former Prime Minister of Cambodia on his social media networks on Feb. 21.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen emphasised that during the meeting, the two former prime ministers did not talk about politics, but recalled the memories of the 32 years of the
ir friendship since 1992. ‘Thank you, brother and niece, for welcoming me today,’ he said.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen and H.E. Thaksin Shinawatra have become godbrothers since 1992, before H.E. Thaksin was elected Prime Minister of Thailand. Since then, they have maintained their close relationship even though H.E. Thaksin was ousted from power by a coup d’état in 2006.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen will return to Cambodia this afternoon.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse

H.E. Frank A. Rose, Principal Deputy Administrator of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), is visiting the Kingdom of Cambodia to discuss the nuclear security partnership with officials in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh said in a press release AKP received this afternoon.

On Feb. 21, Mr. Rose had a productive discussion on enhancing nuclear safeguards and radiological emergency preparedness with H.E. Ung Eang, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Mines and Energy and Vice-President of the Secretariat of the National Counter-Terrorism Committee, and with H.E. Ly Vanna, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

He met separately with officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to address cooperation on nuclear security and nonproliferation efforts.

‘NNSA values its collaboration with the Kingdom of Cambodia on nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response, and we particularly appreciate our partner
ship on nuclear smuggling detection,’ Mr. Rose said.

While in the Kingdom, Mr. Rose is also scheduled to meet port and customs officials and engage with university students on cybersecurity before continuing to his next stop in the region, Vietnam.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse