Remarks at the Leaders’ Meeting on “Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond”

Excellency Secretary-General; Excellency Leaders of Member States; Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen! Today, I am indeed pleased to join the Leaders’ Meeting on “Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond“. Obviously, the progress made in the framework of this agenda have been ruined by the adverse socio-economic impacts caused…

Remarks at the Virtual High-Level Meeting to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations “The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism”

Excellency Mr. President, Excellency Secretary-General, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen! I would like to join other leaders in commemorating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. Certainly, the marking of this 75th anniversary is at a time of great disruption for the world, compounded by an unprecedented global health crisis with severe economic and social impacts.…

Facebook Message on Permission for over 200 Cambodian Workers/Inmates Return from Malaysia to Cambodia [Unofficial Translation]

I thank the Cambodian nieces/nephews in Malaysia for their understandings in our country’s efforts to prevent spreading Covid-19 in Cambodia. To this day, Cambodia and the whole world are actively fighting against Covid-19. And so far, the world has not found the cure for this deadly disease. The Royal Government would thank the over 200…

Selected Off-the-Cuff Comments at the Closing of the Annual Review Conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Official Announcement that Cambodia Will Host the 13th ASEM Summit in 2020 [Unofficial Translation]

• […] I do not intend to use this forum to criticize Europe. I wanted countries in ASEAN, Cambodia is one of them, to learn lesson from principles of consensus and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. It was the principle of consensus that unites ASEAN, though it was sometimes difficult to get to a decision. However, it keeps ASEAN away from division since they do not seek to resolve problems through voting […]

• […] ASEAN also has its own initiative on Indo-Pacific concept. We are seeking to synthesize regional initiatives, the belt and road also included […] under the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, India raised its “Look East” view. Now, the government of Prime Minister Norendra Modi talked about its “Act East” policy. We must reach out to this decision. South Korea initiated its Look South policy too. We must in this case synthesize those initiatives in the interest of ASEAN and serve as the center of solidarity between and among states […]

• In the region, there are countries that create Ministry of Science and Technology. I decided to readjust focus of the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft to become the Ministry of Industry, Technology and Innovation. The Minister, HE Cham Prasidh, will lead this work, and seek to amend related laws and by laws at the National Assembly, while redrafting a sub-decree of law on organization and functioning of the Ministry. It will create units that conducts scientific and technological studies and researches […] to cope up with the industry 4.0 era […]

• […] I continue to stand firm on my position to allow no one to lead our nose around and we will not trade national sovereignty with favor or assistance of any form. (That would be lack of value and cheap) should we not be able to implement our laws and act according to what is required by others. Would we be still a country of independence and sovereignty? In the past, we could survive under economic embargo around us, though we had relations only with the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries’ bloc or CMEA, plus supports from Vietnam, Laos, and India. At present, we have many trade and business partners […]

Samdech Techo Hun Sen,
Closing Annual Meeting of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation, 31 January 2020.