Phnom Penh (FN), Jun. 29 – Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen shared five thoughts on how ASEAN and Russia political parties could shape the architecture of security and cooperation in the Asia Pacific, addressing at the roundtable conference via video conference on Tuesday.

“First and foremost, we need to focus on our most pressing task, that is the fight against COVID19. We need to take it as a common mission of humanity to save lives from the deadly pandemic, and any forms of political disruptions should be avoided.

Second, in the post-COVID19 crisis, we have to jointly promote a resilient recovery. I am optimistic that Russia and ASEAN can do a lot more collectively in this regard through enhancing trade, investment, and tourism flows, among others. In this connection, I would like to underline the importance of Russia’s engagement with ASEAN, particularly in supporting the implementation of the five broad strategies of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF).”

The premier continued: “Third, we need to double down our efforts to promote the UN-Centred International System and an open, fair, stable, and predictable regional architecture in the Asia-Pacific based on the principles of mutual respect, mutual understanding, non-interference, and win-win cooperation. To this end, I must reiterate our full adherence to our ASEAN Centrality, which is an indispensable principle in driving multilateral diplomacy in our part of the world.”

“Fourth, we need to promote practical cooperation on issues that bind us together, instead of those that divide us while acknowledging the need to maintain platforms for open and frank dialogues on our differences. We need to focus on cooperation that promotes building trust and confidence because strategic narratives built on trust are essential to counter the narratives driven by the Cold War mentality. Areas such as peacekeeping operations, cyber security, natural disaster management, and climate change can be a good starting point of such cooperation,” he added.

Samdech concluded that on cultural aspect, he wishes to extend his full support to the “Cultural Marathon” initiated by the Untied Russia Party, which is in line with Cambodia’s vision on building “Cultural Corridors” to promote peace, harmony, and shared prosperity.
=FRESH NEWS