Skip to main content

Remarks By H.E. Dr. Sok An Deputy Prime Minister, on the occasion of the Opening Ceremony of the Japan-Cambodia Kizuna Festival 2013 at Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Centre (CJCC)

Phnom Penh, 21 February, 2013
­œ-         Excellency Masafumi Kuroki, Ambassador of Japan to Cambodia,
-         Excellencies,
-         Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my greatest pleasure and honor to be present with you all here, at the Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Centre (CJCC) in this evening for the opening ceremony of the “2013 Japan-Cambodia Kizuna Festival”. This year’s festival is especially auspicious as it marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Cambodia-Japan diplomatic relations. For both Cambodia and Japan, cultural heritage is an essential source of identity deeply rooted in the past. People of both countries have made considerable efforts in the safeguarding and promotion of rich culture heritage of the each country. And thus we are fortunate that we can share and witness the values of the unique cultures of both countries again this year. I recall the exciting time of the last year’s Kizuna Festival during which Cambodia and Japan exchanged diverse cultural events, including the brilliant drum performance, inspiring film, dances, etc.  This year, I have learned that the festival will further cover a number of cultural aspects shared between Cambodia and Japan, in addition to Music and Cinema, we will enjoy Art, Dress, Martial Arts, etc.

Japan and Cambodia have been working closely together as partners for 60 years, and to this day continue to introduce new festivals and opportunities for people of all ages from the two nations to meet and exchange cultural experiences, ideas and opinions. The hall in which we are gathering today is in fact named “Angkor–Kizuna Hall” and it always stands as a symbol of culture to be shared between Cambodia and Japan. I also believe it continues to represent the future close bond (which means KIZUNA in Japanese) between our nations.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Many of us know certainly how much Japan assists towards development programs in Cambodia. Japan is Cambodia’s major bilateral donor, aiming to support Cambodia’s quest for peace, cultural and economic development. Japan has actively participated in the promotion of stability and development of Cambodia through economic cooperation in such fields as building infrastructures and human resources development, preservation of Angkor Temples and contribution to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) for the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.

The economic relations between Japan and Cambodia are increasingly becoming more active, thanks to the improvement of the investment climate in Cambodia. We welcome the increasing number of investors and businesses as they provide greater employment opportunities for the local youth. All these projects and activities cannot be successful without the understanding and appreciation of the cultures of both nations. 

As I begin to wind down, may I say that I sincerely hope that the youth join in the upcoming events and enjoy the prepared activates. It is vital to knowledge other cultures as it not only helps us understand our own culture, but it can expand our relationships with others. I thus advise you all to keep an open mind, share the values and power of culture, and finally, to promote understanding of each other to strengthen the relationship and partnership between our two nations.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank a dear colleague of mine, Ambassador of Japan and host of this magnificent event, Mr Masafumi Kuroki. Mr Kuroki has certainly strengthened the partnership between the two countries through his special affection to Cambodia and deep love to our people during three and half years of his mission in the Kingdom of Cambodia. He will be dearly missed as his time as Ambassador to Cambodia comes to an end this week. It is with regret that we bid him farewell. May we wish you further success and good health in your new assignment.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The festival is about to begin. I am strongly confident the festival will inspire all visitors’ intellectual and cultural exchanges.  Let me close my speech by thanking again all people, the Japanese Embassy, CJCC and Japan and Cambodia’s youth for making this festival come to life through your efforts and contributions.

I wish the festival fruitful and successful.

Thank you!

Popular posts from this blog

ប្រវត្តិរបស់មហាក្សត្រីអង្គមុី ឬអង្គមិញ ដែលយួនលើកបន្តប់ជាមហាក្សត្រីខ្មែរទី៩៧

ព្រះមហាក្សត្រីអង្គមីុ ឬ អង្គមេញ ទ្រង់ជាមហាក្សត្រីខ្មែរទី៩៧ នៃរាជាណាចក្រខ្មែរឧដុង្គ ទ្រង់គឺជាអ្នកមានអំណាចម្នាក់នៅក្នុងចំនោមស្ត្រីបីនាក់នៅសម័យនោះដែរ។ ព្រះនាងត្រូវបានវៀតណាមលើកឲ្យក្លាយជាព្រះមហាក្សត្រីខ្មែរ នៅក្នុងអំឡុងពេលដែលក្រុងកម្ពជាមានសង្រ្គាមជាមួយសៀម។ ព្រះនាង គឺជាសែលោហិតរាជវង្សនរោត្តម មិនតែប៉ុណ្ណោះទេទ្រង់មានឥសរយស្សជា សម្តេចសិល្បៈករប្រចាំក្រុងកម្ពុជានាសម័យនោះ ព្រះអង្គឡើងគ្រោងរាជចាប់ពីឆ្នាំ (១៨៣៥-១៨៤១) ព្រះអង្គសោយរាជ្យបានរយៈពេល៦ឆ្នាំ។ ព្រះអង្គឡើងសោយរាជ្យបន្តពីព្រះបាទឧទ័យរាជា (ព្រះ បាទឧទ័យរាជា ជាទទៅនៅសម័យនោះគេហៅព្រអង្គថាអង្គច័ន្ទ) ទ្រង់ឡើងសោយរាជ្យបន្តពីបិតារបស់ព្រះអង្គ គឺព្រះអង្គអេង។ នៅរាជសម័យបន្ទាប់ពីព្រះមហាក្សត្រីអង្គមុី គឺព្រះបាទហរិរះរាមាឥសារាធិបតី ដែលយើងស្គាល់គ្រប់គ្នាគឺ ព្រះបាទអង្គឌួង ព្រះអង្គប្រសូត្រនៅឆ្នាំ១៧៩៦ ហើយសោយទីវង្គត់ នៅខែតុលា ឆ្នាំ ១៨៦០ ក្នុងព្រះជន ៦៤ព្រះវវស្សា ព្រះអង្គគឺជាក្សត្រមួយអង្គដែលបានសង្រ្គោះកម្ពុជាពីកន្តាប់ដៃសៀមនឹងវៀតណាម។ ព្រះអង្គឡើងសោយរាជចាប់ពីឆ្នាំ ១៨៤៧ ដល់ ១៨៦០។  ព្រះមហាក្សត្រីអង្គមីុ សោយទិវង្គត់នៅ ក្នុងខែធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ១៨៧៤ ក្នុងព្រះជន្មាយុ ៥៩ ព្រះវវស្សា ក្ន...

សារ​លិខិត​រំលែក​ទុក្ខ​របស់ ឯកឧត្តម Kim Sung-Hwan រដ្ឋមន្រ្តី​ការ​បរទេស​នៃ​សាធារ​ណ​រដ្ឋកូរ៉េ ជូន សមេ្តច​អគ្គម​ហាសេនា​បតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី នៃព្រះ​រាជា​ណាច​ក្រកម្ពុជា

Cambodia and Japan commit to preserve heritage site as oil and gas exploration begins in Preah Vihear

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 30, 2012 – The Japanese Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) agreed with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Sok An in a meeting on Monday that the historic temples of Preah Vihear province must be protected and conserved. H.E. Dr. Sok An, Minister in Charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, told Akira Suzuki, Executive Director and member of the Board of JOGMEC, that there are more than 200 historic sites in the province, including the Temple of Preah Vihear. Dr. Sok An said that it is very important that such cultural heritage be cared for so as to attract more tourists to the area. Already there are 2,000 tourists per day visiting Preah Vihear province. The province is also rich in mineral resources and fertile land for agriculture, he said. The area is also a home of an endangered bird that is attractive to tourists. “If we can discover oil and gas, that is a very good asset for Preah Vihear province and for Cambodia as a w...

រាយនាមព្រះមហាក្សត្រខ្មែរ និងរាជសម័យនៃការគ្រប់គ្រងប្រទេស

ការសិក្សាស្រាវជ្រាវអំពីប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្រ​ខ្មែរ មិនមែនជារឿងងាយទេ ដោយសារតែគ្មានឯកសារច្បាស់លាស់បន្សល់ទុក​ឱ្យស្រាវជ្រាវ។ ដូច្នេះយើងត្រូវតែកកាយរើមួយម្តងមួយផ្នែកៗ មករៀបចំផ្គុំគ្នាដើម្បីឱ្យបានឃើញការពិតពីមួយសម័យកាលទៅមួយសម័យទៀត។ ខាងក្រោមនេះ គឺជាការស្រាវជ្រាវប្រវត្តិនៃការគ្រប់គ្រងរបស់ព្រះមហាក្សត្រខ្មែរ និងព្រះនាមរបស់ទ្រង់នីមួយៗ៖ * សម័យនគរភ្នំ (ហ្វូណន សវទី១ ៥៥០ គស) 1. ព្រះនាងសោមាហៅលីវយី (ដើមសតវត្សទី១) 2. កៅណ្ឌិន្យ(៦៨) 3. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម (សតវត្សទី២) 4. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម ចិនហៅ បាន់ ហួង (សតវត្សទី២) 5. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម ចិនហៅ ហ្វាន់ហ្វាន់(ដើមសតវត្សទី៣) 6. ស្រីម៉ារ៉ា ចិនហៅ ចេម៉ាន់(២០៥- ២២៥) 7. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាមចិនហៅ Fan chin sheng(២២៥) 8. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម ចិនហៅហ្វាន់ចាន់(២២៥ -២៤០) 9. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម ចិនហៅហ្វាន់សីុយន់(២៤០- ២៨៧) 10. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម(សតវត្សទី៣ ) 11. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាមចិនហៅតៀនជូ ចាន់តាន(សតវត្សទី៤) 12. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម(សតវត្សទី៤ ) 13. កៅណ្ឌិន្យទី២ចិនហៅចាវចិនជូ( ? ៤៣៤) 14. ស្រី =ន្រ្ទវរ្ម័ន(៤៣៤- ៤៣៥) 15. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម មិនស្គាល់រជ្ជកាល 16. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម មិនស្គាល់រជ្ជកាល 17. កៅណ្ឌិន្យ...

Cambodia and Malaysia look to further cooperation in agriculture, tourism and education sectors

PHNOM PENH, February 20, 2014  – Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister shared views on Thursday that both countries can tap mutual benefits and complement each other. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Tan Sri Muhyiddin informed H.E. Sok An that, “Malaysia is good at rubber plantations, palm oil, and technology and the key is how best to work with Cambodia.” He said that Malaysian companies are interested in investing in processing rubber resin and can make good furniture from old rubber trees in Cambodia. Malaysian state run companies can also explore energy, generation, hydro-power plants and infrastructures such as roads in Cambodia. “We need feasibility studies first before the next steps can be taken. We can provide resources under the plan of privatization,” H.E. Tan Sri Muhyiddin said in the meeting. In response, H.E. Dr. Sok An, also Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Minist...