Building community, strengthening partnerships vital tasks for ASEAN: Cambodian PM

English.news.cn   2013-04-04 22:34:42

by Ju Mengjun, Nguon Sovan
PHNOM PENH, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Working towards the realization of an ASEAN community in 2015 and strengthening existing partnerships between ASEAN and dialogue partner countries are the most important tasks for the bloc, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said.
"We have been doing our best to turn this regional organization into a cohesive organization with advanced development, and we have strategic partnerships with other countries," he said in a recent interview with Xinhua on the eve of his official visit to China, where he would also attend Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference.
The premier said that Cambodia was very proud to host ASEAN summit in 2002 and 2012 respectively and the country will get benefits from ASEAN integration and the bloc's cooperation with external partners around the world.
Hun Sen said ASEAN is trying to promote partnerships between ASEAN and China, Japan, South Korea, the European Union, the U.S., India, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and countries in Latin America.
"In general, ASEAN has no discrimination; we try to do whatever to create partnerships," he said.
The premier noted that those countries are major trading partners of ASEAN, but the bloc's largest trading partner is China.
He said though ASEAN has only 10 member countries, it has a population larger than that of the 27 EU countries combined.
The premier said some people are wondering whether ASEAN would follow the footstep of the EU towards a community, or blaze a new path as the EU has now fallen into the crisis of sovereign debts.
"We have a roadmap on building an ASEAN community in 2015," he said. "We have the council of the security-political community, the council of socio-cultural community, and the council of economic community. We are pushing the three trends forward, this is our roadmap."
Asked whether it is possible to establish East Asia Organization with ASEAN being a core player, the premier said that it seems too early to predict on this issue.
"We have to strengthen the mechanisms of ASEAN+1 and ASEAN+3 and make them the real core synergy," he said.
"If we rush to create a larger organization, it will not only be impossible to move forward, but also destroy the efforts of the ASEAN actor and lose the role of ASEAN as well," he added.
He said ASEAN has to try all its best to achieve the goal of ASEAN integration in 2015 through narrowing development gap between its old and new members, strengthen partnerships with China, Japan, South Korea, and India.

Editor: Tang Danlu

Cambodia dispatches 2nd batch of military personnel to South Sudan for peacekeeping operations

English.news.cn   2013-04-04 10:56:24

 

PHNOM PENH, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Thursday sent the second batch of 152 military police and medics to South Sudan in order to take part in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.
The group including 10 female will replace the first batch's forces who have completed a one-year peacekeeping mission in that country.
Speaking at a departure ceremony at the Military Airbase in Phnom Penh, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Banh said the government of Cambodia has strongly determined in contributing to the humanitarian affairs for building and maintaining peace through the process of sending troops to the United Nations Peacekeeping Operation missions.
Meanwhile, he advised them to strictly respect South Sudan's independence and sovereignty and have to work actively to achieve this humanitarian mission.
"You have to remember that your identity at this time is not only representing the Cambodian peacekeeping forces, but also peacekeeping forces for ASEAN," he said. "Therefore, you have to behave well in order to maintain national dignity and to bring the fame of Cambodia to international arena."
In South Sudan, the military personnel will conduct humanitarian duties such as security and public order preparation and intervention, while the military medics will provide healthcare to peacekeepers, diplomatic corps, humanitarian organization staff and Sudanese.
Marc Derveeuw, Coordinator of the United Nations Development Program to Cambodia, said only 20 years ago, UN peacekeepers supported Cambodia to recover from conflict. Now, Cambodia is a country that helps other countries to recover from conflict.
"Your dedication to helping others, sharing your skills with another country that has suffered from conflict, will be a source of inspiration to many," he said at the departure ceremony.
He said that to date, the UN has almost 120,000 personnel from 114 countries serving on 15 peace operations on four continents, directly impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of people.
Cambodia firstly sent its peacekeepers abroad in 2006. To date, the country has sent about 1,600 troops to Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Central Africa, Lebanon and Syria for humanitarian and demining operations.

Cambodian PM vows to bring greater prosperity to his people

English.news.cn   2013-04-04 14:31:24

PHNOM PENH, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said he had set a vision that his country will be among countries with upper middle income by the year of 2030.
He made the remarks during a recent interview with Xinhua on the eve of his official visit to China, where he would also attend the Boao Forum For Asia Annual Conference.
He said Cambodia has laid out strategies and action plans to achieve an annual economic growth of 6-7 percent in the long run, and cut the poverty rate by more than 1 percent each year
"Now the poverty rate among Cambodian people is 19 percent, and we will reduce the poverty rate to the lowest as we can," he said. "This year, Cambodia will move forward from a low-income to a lower-middle income country."
Hun Sen, 61, has been in power for 28 years and is expected to be re-elected as prime minister for a new 5-year term.
Recalling his political career, he said he joined the army when he was 18 and became foreign minister at the age of 27, very young compared with other leaders at that time.
At the age of 29, he became deputy prime minister and foreign minister and at the age of 32, he became prime Minister. "Until now, I have held the post of prime minister for more than 28 years- -one of the longest serving prime ministers," he said.
He said he has all along enjoyed full support by the party and the majority of Cambodian people. .
"I do only good deeds, if our party and I do bad deeds, no one votes for us," he said.
He said his party, the Cambodian People's Party, has a culture called "the art of sharing," and they use that concept to mobilize capitals and other resources to dig canals, built roads, schools and hospitals for the people.
He said that as a competent leader, one should not be frustrated in face of difficult tasks. "We cannot lose self- control in decision making in politics or other matters," he said.
He attributed his successes in leadership to the people's support, the competent people working with him and the correct political platform of the Cambodian People's Party.

Cambodia's health minister urges children to stay away from poultry to prevent bird flu

English.news.cn   2013-04-04 19:17:36

PHNOM PENH, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Health Minister Mam Bunheng on Thursday appealed to parents to distance their children from poultry in order to prevent the spread of bird flu from poultry to humans, said a joint statement by the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization.
"Avian Influenza H5N1 remains a serious threat to the health of all Cambodians, and kids also seem to be most vulnerable and are at high risk because they like to play where poultry are found," the minister said in the statement.
"I'd like to appeal to parents and guardians to keep children away from sick or dead poultry and prevent them from playing with chickens and ducks," he said.
He added that parents and guardians must also make sure children wash their hands with soap and water after any contact with poultry.
"If they have fast or difficult breathing, they should seek medical attention at the nearest health facility and attending physicians must be made aware of any exposure to sick or dead poultry," he added.
The minister's appeal was made after a six-year-old boy from Southwestern Kampot province was confirmed on Wednesday as the 10th person who contracted with Avian Influenza H5N1 in 2013.
The boy developed fever, convulsions and dyspnea (shortness of breath) on March 27, and his mother had bought some medicines from a local pharmacy for him until his condition worsened. The boy was sent to the Kantha Bopha Hospital in Phnom Penh on March 31.
"Currently, the boy is in a critical condition," the statement said Thursday, adding that it is not known whether the boy had direct contact with poultry.
The country records the worst outbreak of the virus this year since the disease was first identified in 2004. To date, the country has reported 31 human cases of the virus, with 27 people killed.
H5N1 influenza is a flu that normally spreads between sick poultry, but it can sometimes spread from poultry to humans, said the statement. Human H5N1 Avian Influenza is a very serious disease that requires hospitalization.
Globally since 2003, there have been 623 laboratory confirmed human cases of H5N1 Avian Influenza with 371 related deaths, it said.

Cambodia-China ties grow rapidly over last decade: Cambodian PM

English.news.cn   2013-04-04 14:50:56

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (R) receives an interview from Xinhua News Agency Asia-Pacific regional bureau chief Ju Mengjun in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 28, 2013. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said during the interview that Cambodia-China friendly relations of cooperation had grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade and predicted that the ties would become stronger and deeper under new Chinese leadership. (Xinhua/Li Hong)

English.news.cn   2013-04-04 14:50:56

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (4th R), Xinhua News Agency Asia-Pacific regional bureau chief Ju Mengjun (4th L) and other members of Xinhua pose for a group photo in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 28, 2013. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said during an interview with Xinhua that Cambodia-China friendly relations of cooperation had grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade and predicted that the ties would become stronger and deeper under new Chinese leadership. (Xinhua/Li Hong)

by Ju Mengjun, Wang Qibing
PHNOM PENH, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said that Cambodia-China friendly relations of cooperation had grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade and predicted that the ties would become stronger and deeper under new Chinese leadership.
He made the remarks during a recent interview with Xinhua on the eve of his official visit to China, where he would also attend Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference.
He said he used the word "solid" because the ties are in a very good shape, and "in leaps and bounds" because they are growing rapidly.
He said the two countries have moved from the relationship of good neighbors, good friends, good partners to the level of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Cooperation.
"In the last decade, the ties have grown very quickly in politics and in all fields including trade," Hun Sen said, recalling that in 2012, during the visit of former President Hu Jintao to Cambodia, the two nations agreed to boost the bilateral trade volume to 5 billion U.S. dollars by 2017.
"This is not a high ambition, but we have possibility to achieve it because China has offered tax exemptions of up to 95 percent for Cambodia-made products," he said.
"We can say that this is a new aspect that had been built during the last 10 years."
The two nations are in the new stage of further strengthening and promoting this relationship to a deeper and stronger level.
The premier said that he is scheduled to make an official visit to China from April 6-10 for talks with new Chinese leaders, particularly with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.
"Under the new term of Chinese leadership, I hope that the Sino- Cambodian relations will be more solid," he said. "My forthcoming visit to the People's Republic of China will clearly show the continuation of promoting the bilateral relation to a deeper level. "
Both sides are expected to draw up an action plan to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Cooperation.
"At this point, we expect that China, under the leadership of Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, will definitely continue to further promote this relation to be better and deeper as Chinese economy has grown well and Cambodian economy has also been enhanced, so this relation, I do believe that it will be further heightened in the term of the two leaders," he said.
He noted that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the Cambodia-China diplomatic relations, and both sides have been sponsoring activities to promote their bilateral ties.
The prime minister spoke highly of China's assistance to Cambodia, especially in water, roads, electricity, and human resources, the four sectors Cambodia has given high priority since 1987.
"In these years, Chinese friends have helped us in the four sectors. This is the aspiration that I want and China has fulfilled my aspiration through grant aid and loans for developing these sectors," he said.
China helped finance the establishment of electricity transmission grids, and the Chinese companies have constructed hydropower plants, with three dams already put into operation, and three others under construction.
In human resources development, China has helped to establish schools such as Preah Leap Agriculture School and provide scholarships to Cambodian students to study in China.
"In the future, I want China to continue supporting these four sectors with financing and investment," he said.
The premier added that the country also seeks Chinese investment in other fields such as mineral resource exploration and exploitation on kerosene, gas and minerals to further promote good economic cooperation. Cambodia also needs more Chinese investment in manufacturing industries and tourism.
Last year, more than 300,000 Chinese tourists visited Cambodia. With direct flights to Cambodia from Beijing, Shanghai and other Chinese cities, Chinese tourists to Cambodia are expected to reach 1 million in coming years, he said.
On Chinese President Xi Jinping's first overseas visit, Hun Sen expressed satisfaction with Chinese new leadership's diplomacy. He noted that besides seeking Russia's partnership, China is reaching out to African countries.
"I think that this is a policy that protects the voice of the weak. China always voices support for the role of developing countries," he said.