Cambodia is committed to working harder to boost the ASEAN Community Building.
The commitment was emphasised by Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.E. Prak Sokhonn while presiding over here this morning the opening ceremony of the Workshop on “Cambodia’s Contributions to ASEAN since Assuming Membership in 1999”.
“As ASEAN is celebrating its 55th Anniversary, Cambodia is motivated and inspired to work harder to advance the ASEAN Community building. Under the theme ‘ASEAN A.C.T.: Addressing Challenges Together’, we are of the view that the current regional and international context necessitates the strengthening of our shared commitment to ASEAN centrality, unity, and solidarity. It is furthermore crucial for ASEAN to consolidate its spirit of ‘Togetherness’ if we are to be effective in tackling our common pressing challenges to ensure regional and global peace, security, and sustainable development,” he said in his keynote address.
Cambodia became the 10th and last member to join the ASEAN family way back in 1999, marking one of its extraordinary foreign policy achievements in terms of regional integration and multilateralism, he continued, stressing that since, Cambodia’s political will and commitment toward ASEAN Community-building efforts have been consistent and relentless.
According to the Cambodian DPM, the establishment of a dedicated Cambodian Permanent Mission to ASEAN in 2017, underpinned Cambodia’s steadfast commitment to ASEAN and its Community-building process. Cambodia’s sustained high economic growth has helped narrow intra-ASEAN development gaps and accelerated the region’s sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Cambodia has also provided a robust contribution to ASEAN’s efforts to maintain global peace through the UN peacekeeping operations, and addressing the issue of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), underlined H.E. Prak Sokhonn, adding that the operationalisation of ARMAC is such a vivid testimony to that effect.
Co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Asian Vision Institute (AVI) at Hyatt Regency Hotel, the Workshop on “Cambodia’s Contributions to ASEAN since Assuming Membership in 1999” is aimed to foster greater public awareness about ASEAN, especially Cambodia’s contributions to ASEAN integration and community building and, in the process, their relevance and their value addition to this regional grouping, the benefits to its peoples, and to the stability and peace in the region.
