Speech given by the Prime Minister on national and international occasions, review conference, etc. in English and in Khmer

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]

Speech

• […] 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.

Press Briefing on Novel Coronavirus related Pneumonia in Cambodia [Unofficial Translation]

Speech

[…] Let me take this opportune moment to appeal on a number of points as followed:
• […] firstly, do not overreact the truth because it would waste your time in fulfilling your works. We could evade any infectious viruses by exercising hygiene and sanitation in our way of living, eating, traveling and working, etc. […],
• […] secondly, we must provide people with true information […] let me affirm once again that the credible source of information must be the Ministry of Health, which is the leading institution in charge of providing information on this matter. It is not the quick reaction unit (of the Council of Ministers) or the Ministry of Information, or other institutions […],
• […] thirdly, state institutions, private companies, factories, enterprises, markets, Buddhist pagodas, mosques, and churches, etc. must continue their normal functioning […],
• […] fourthly, schools must focus attention in providing confidence for pupils. Parents and/or supervisors continue to send their children to schools. Schools of every levels must make sure they are on strict hygiene and sanitation […],
• […] fifthly, (people) must have their masks on wherever necessary […],
• […] sixthly, masks sellers should not take this chance to increase prices […] I am calling on factories to produce masks and sell to the state or to help people in need (of masks) […],
• […] seventhly, must ensure normal functioning without discrimination against tourists and/or transportation services of every kinds – air and water that are in direct connections with the airport, hotel and other transportation sector […],
• […] eighthly, Cambodian diplomats, consular officers, and students who are working and/or studying in China, those in Wuhan also included, must continue to stay there and join with the people of China to fight the disease […] as is said in our ancestors’ slogan “a friend in deed is a friend in need” […],
• There have been some requests and one of them has been for Cambodia to shut out flights from China to Cambodia. That was a measure requested to kill national economy and to place Cambodia-China relations in dismay […] actually, there is no need to even do so, China has already declared closing flights from their end already – not only from Wuhan to outside destinations but also in China […], and
• […] the second request has been to evacuate Cambodian students studying in China to Cambodia […] I said “no.” Should we do that, it is nothing different from sharing only happy time with them and leaving them in bad time […] there is no need to evacuate Cambodian students, diplomats, and/or consular officers (in China) to Cambodia […]
Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Press Conference on the new coronavirus Situation in Cambodia, 30 Januray 2020

Meeting to Commemorate the 41st Anniversary of the January-7 Victory [Unofficial Translation]

Speech

Revered Samdech Preah Sangharja and Buddhist Monks, Excellencies, Ladies, Honorable National and Foreign Guests, Samdech, Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, Ladies and Gentlemen, Meeting Participants and Compatriots, Today is the 41st anniversary of the 7 January 1979 historic victory day overthrowing the genocidal regime of Pol Pot, saving the Cambodian people to survival from mass killing under…

Speech and Off-the-Cuff Comments at the Closing Session of the National Supreme Council of Consultation to Take Stock of the 16 Months Works (September 2018 – 2019) and to Set Directions for 2020 [Unofficial Translation]

Speech

In addition to the prepared text, Samdech Techo made three additional comments/points that Cambodia New vision has unofficially selected and translated as followed: NSCC to Continue after 2023 After working with each other in this past period, though the royal decree limits the roles and tasks of direct participation of political parties with the Royal…