Speech by Samdech Techo Hun Sen Opening of the BOAO Forum for Asia “Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities” [Unofficial Translation]

H.E. Li Baodong, Secretary General of the Boao Forum for Asia, Excellencies Heads of State and Government, H.E. Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen! I have the great pleasure of speaking at the opening session of the Boao Forum for Asia…

Selected excerpts from the impromptu speech of Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway [Unofficial Translation]

(1) The ASEAN Highway Ho Chi Minh/Phnom Penh/Bangkok becomes a reality Seeing the importance of the expressway, we started negotiations with our Chinese friend, the Chinese Road and Bridge Corporation, which has implemented the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway project, to study the expressway project of connecting Phnom Penh with Bavet town, linking up with the expressway…

Selected Off-the-Cuff Speech at the Handover Ceremony of “Morodok Techo National Sports Complex/Stadium” – a Grant Aid from the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Cambodia [Unofficial Translation]

HE Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China Excellencies, Ladies, Lok Chumteavs A New Record Breaking in the Cambodia-China Strong-as-Steel Relation Today, I am very pleased to join HE Wang Yi in the handing over ceremony of the sports complex “Morodok Techo National Stadium,” a grant from the People’s…

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.