Minister of Labour and Vocational Training H.E. Heng Sour has welcomed the launch of the Alumni Federation of Cambodia in Israel (ACI) and the kick-off of the Shalom Club in Cambodia, describing the initiatives as bridges for strengthening bilateral relations and new driving forces for human capital development.
H.E. Heng Sour co-chaired the inauguration ceremony with Mr. Rami Teplitskiy, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Israel, at Himawari Hotel in Phnom Penh on Friday. The event was attended by ministry officials, representatives of the Israeli Embassy, the Honorary Consul of Israel, the Cambodia-Israel Chamber of Commerce and numerous alumni.
The initiatives aim to connect former Cambodian students from different generations and professional backgrounds to share knowledge, skills and experience while strengthening Cambodia-Israel cooperation, particularly in human capital development, innovation, agriculture, education and vocational training.
Addressing the ceremony, H.E. Heng Sour commended the ACI, Israel’s MASHAV Agency, the Israeli Embassy, the Honorary Consul of Israel in Cambodia and the Cambodia-Israel Chamber of Commerce for working together to organise what he described as a historic event to further strengthen bilateral relations.
He said the formal establishment of the ACI provided an important institutional framework for transforming individual skills and capabilities into strategic assets for national development. Meanwhile, the launch of the Shalom Club connected Cambodia to a global network of clubs that promote experience-sharing, knowledge exchange and community-driven initiatives for sustainable socio-economic development.
The Minister noted that these initiatives would also contribute to Cambodia’s vision of becoming a high-income country by 2050.
Building on previous achievements and the historic agreement signed in December 2025, at least 2,000 Cambodian workers are expected to have opportunities to participate in employment and training programmes in Israel. The programmes will focus on modern agriculture, irrigation systems, greenhouse technology, smart water management and sustainable resource management.
H.E. Heng Sour encouraged alumni to share their expertise and experience and mentor younger generations. He also called on them to support Cambodian workers seeking employment opportunities in Israel and serve as trainers to equip workers with essential technical skills, basic language proficiency and knowledge of Israeli culture.
He expressed confidence that the ACI and Shalom Club would become strong driving forces for innovation, professional excellence and institutional cooperation, further strengthening the friendship between the two countries for the long-term benefit of their peoples.
For his part, Mr. Rami Teplitskiy said the initiatives aimed to develop the next generation of leaders, strengthen Cambodia-Israel cooperation, improve people’s livelihoods and contribute to Cambodia’s social development.
He also highlighted the importance of human capital, knowledge, innovation and creativity, describing them as the most valuable resources that had enabled Israel to achieve remarkable progress in agriculture, water management, technology and other sectors.
