The 38th Technical Session of the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Sites of Angkor and Sambor Prei Kuk (ICC-Angkor/Sambor Prei Kuk) kicked off in Siem Reap provincial city this morning.
H.E. Mrs. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts and President of the APSARA National Authority, presided over the event’s opening ceremony, with Mr. TANINAI Ichitomo, Minister/Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Japan, and Mr. Pierre VINCENT, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs of the Embassy of France in Cambodia as co-chairs.
In his speech, Mr. TANINAI Ichitomo recalled some of the work that Japan has been involved in Angkor for more than 30 years. Since 1994, Japan has cooperated with the APSARA National Authority to work at some restoration sites in the Angkor area, he said.
The most notable achievement is the restoration of the western causeway of Angkor Wat, which had two phases and was officially inaugurated in December 2023, he stressed.
At the same time, Mr. TANINAI Ichitomo also reminded the cooperation at Sambor Prei Kuk site, saying that the cooperation will continue forever in the cause of contributing to the conservation of Cambodia’s heritage to be sustainable.
According to the APSARA National Authority, in addition to the 38th Technical Session, on Mar. 15, there will be a Plenary Session chaired by French Ambassador H.E. Jacques PELLET, and Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia H.E. UENO Atsushi.
Before the formal meeting, a team of experts in the field of conservation and sustainable development visited several sites in the Angkor and Sambor Prei Kuk sites to monitor, review, and recommend the work following general principles in the Angkor Charter.
