PHNOM PENH,
Jan. 18, 2012 (PRU) – Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister His Excellency Dr. Sok
An said that he hopes the noble mission of the newly appointed UK Ambassador to
the Kingdom of Cambodia will be successful in promoting bilateral cooperation.
UK looks to
cooperation with Cambodia in the field of education, a move welcomed by the
Deputy Prime Minister who said that Cambodia has now about 70 universities and
agreed that the quality of Cambodia’s education needs to be improved.
Ambassador
Mark Gooding said that he wishes to continue the strong dialogue with Cambodia
across wide range of issues including politics and economic development.
His
Excellency Dr. Sok An recalled the five records achieved by the Extraordinary
Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC): speed in carrying out its work
including the adoption of internal rules and conducting the first trial; its
relatively low cost; efficient functioning, including the swift and smooth
arrest of all charged persons and the absence of any fugitives; the extent of
public participation and support, and the involvement of victims in the
judicial process.
The Deputy
Prime Minister now sees that, if the Court continues its present course, it may
well be able to add two more records. The 6th record would be the fact that the
ECCC is now dealing with the most important case referring to the four
defendants, who are the most responsible senior leaders of Democratic Kampuchea regime.
The 7th
record will hopefully be the Court’s legacy, an important aspect of which will
be the archiving of its records at a documentation centre, now under
construction, where national and international researchers can access such
records in the future.
Another
aspect of the legacy of the ECCC will be to serve as a model for national
judicial system, especially in court administration and records management,
said the Deputy Prime Minister Sok An.
Ambassador
Gooding added that his government has provided $5 million dollars to the ECCC,
and he is hoping that more funds will be granted in the future.
The
Ambassador noted that this year is very important for Cambodia given this
Southeast Asian nation is taking rotating chairmanship of ASEAN. Gooding said
that UK is hosting the Olympic and Paralympic games for 2012.
Deputy Prime
Minister Dr. Sok An congratulated UK for hosting Olympics and said he wished
that Petanque, a sport at which Cambodia
is excellent and has recently won gold medals, would be included.
Dr. Sok An
said that Cambodia, apart from chairing the ASEAN, has other important events,
namely the Senate election on 29 January and communal council election to be
held in early June.
“Cambodia is
also determined to hold its general election on time in July 2013,” the Deputy
Prime Minister assured the diplomat who responded that the UK is supportive of
the process of democratisation through elections.
Dr. Sok An
said that Cambodia has a high turnout of voters -- up to 90 percent.
When asked
by the Ambassador what are the main concerns of the Cambodian people, His
Excellency Dr. Sok An said that the Royal Government of Cambodia has strong
support from the public, citing the US-funded International Republican
Institute (IRI) survey that Cambodians are pleased with the government’s
efforts in building infrastructure of roads and bridges and irrigation network,
which are urgently needed by the people.
He said that
the government is now setting its strategy on employment by establishing
vocational training, National Employment Agency, and National Training Board so
as to coordinate the involved parties -- the job seekers, the private sector,
and the government.
His
Excellency Sok An, who is also the chairman of the Cambodia National Petroleum
Authority (CNPA), said that Cambodia and Thailand alike need oil and gas for
developing the countries, a move which is welcomed by the diplomat who said
that he hopes that a win-win solution on the issue of development of
overlapping claims area along their common border would be reached in the
future.