Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia and Chair of ASEAN for 2022, has officially announced the opening of the ASEAN Economic Club.
In his opening remarks at the 2022 ASEAN Leadership and Partnership Forum under the theme “Partnerships for a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN”, held here this morning, Samdech Techo Hun Sen said the club will play a key role in promoting a more cohesive ASEAN economic integration through contribution in monitoring, evaluating and advising, in an independent and professional manner, on the implementation of agreements reached by ASEAN leaders, particularly on free trade agreements, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement and other agreements related to the economic pillar.
“I would like to take this opportunity to officially announce the opening of the ASEAN Economic Club,” he said on the occasion.
At the same time, Samdech Techo Hun Sen also re-emphasised the ASEAN Green Deal, the Green Economic or Investment Zone, and the Cambodia Economic Development Fund.
The ASEAN Green Deal, that would allow the region to gradually transition into a community with sustainability, effective use of resources and resilience, was proposed by the Cambodian Premier in the recent 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Phnom Penh.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen welcomed the initiative of the KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific and the Asia Vision Institute to establish the Green Economic or Investment Zone. With the recent enactment of a new investment law, Cambodia is ready to host the very first green economic zone.
The Prime Minister also voiced his support for the establishment of the Cambodia Economic Development Fund, which will contribute to the digital transformation and development of artificial intelligence (AI), and provision of necessary skills and equipment to Cambodia’s workforce in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
For today’s Forum, Samdech Techo Hun Sen encouraged frank discussions in the spirit of mutual understanding, in order to achieve real fruitful results, and show the world the ASEAN’s commitment to continue to strengthen ASEAN Leadership and Partnership amid turmoil and decline in mutual trust, by using peaceful dialogues as a problem-solving mechanism.
