Thursday, January 16, 2014

Cambodia and Germany exchange views on various sectors

PHNOM PENH, January 14, 2014 (PRU) – Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister His Excellency Dr. Sok An and His Excellency Joachim Baron von Marschall, German Ambassador to Cambodia, exchanged views on the fields of cultural preservation, social development of Green Belt project, the Khmer Rouge tribunal, and Cambodia’s current situation.

Both sides shared view on the need for protecting and preserving Cambodia’s historic sites, mainly Angkor complex which is contributing to cultural tourism. Cambodia received 3.58 million tourists in 2012 and that figure is expected to increase to more than 4 million in 2013.
German experts are helping Cambodia to fix and protect the sand-stoned walls of the historic temples from being further eroded by air pollutions.

H.E. Dr. Sok An told the Ambassador of the successful project of the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC-Angkor) co-chaired by Japan and France since it was established in 1993.
 
The Deputy Prime Minister, who is also the President of APSARA National Authority for Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap, said that the international community has continued to support the APSARA Authority since it was in place in 1995.

Donors worked with APSARA Authority and spent more than US $250 million, with support from 16 countries and 28 international organizations, in restoration efforts for 60 projects to restore the temples, some of which have been completed and others are being implemented in Siem Reap province.
 
Berlin has also been supporting the Green Belt project through its German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). The project is intended to help the people living around Siem Reap city to benefit from the continuous increase in tourism by growing fruits and vegetables to supply the local restaurants and hotels, thus improving their living standards over time.
In October 2012, Berlin pledged another €EUR 4.8 million for the Green Belt project. 

Both sides are impressed with their achievements.
Berlin contributed more than €EUR 10 million to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) for the trials of Khmer Rouge’s most responsible leaders for the crimes they committed from 17 April 1975- 6 January 1979.
 
H.E. Ambassador also shared views with H.E. Sok An that stakeholders must protect the court’s records and look to continue supporting the tribunal to bring justice for nearly 2 million victims under the Democratic Kampuchea (DK) regime.
 
Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, who is also the Chairman of the Royal Government Task Force for the Khmer Rouge Trials, told the diplomat that he will have a meeting with U.N. experts later this month, seeking better approach from which the court can process the cases faster; while continuing to apply the regulations, rules and laws set by the tribunal.
Dr. Sok An explained to the diplomat about Cambodia’s current situation that the Royal Government of Cambodia always welcomed the opposition party of CNRP to hold talks to solve problems.
“If CNRP returns to negotiations and take their parliamentarian seats we will be very
happy.”
“We will then have two elected parties working through debates at the National Assembly and not taking to the streets,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
 
“We open our arms to welcome CNRP to hold talks. The ball is now with the CNRP.”

CPP won 68 parliamentarian seats from the July’s general election in 2013 and CNRP gained 55 out of the total 123 seats of the country’s National Assembly.
End.

ព្រះរាជក្រិត្យ ព្រះករុណា ព្រះមហាក្សត្រ លើកលែងទោសទោសទណ្ឌិត សម្រង្ស៊ី