Phnom Penh (FN), Nov. 16 – The global peace and security are facing immense pressure and uncertainties due to intensifying geopolitical rivalries, Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen spoke at the 11th Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP11) held virtual meeting on Tuesday.

“Indeed, the COVID19 pandemic, which has disrupted our daily norms of works and livelihood, can be considered as a test of Asia-Europe's commitment to maintain a trust-based cooperation. Although this crisis has threatened the global multilateralism, our commitment to strengthen the cooperation remains unshaken. On the contrary, a strong cooperative Asia-Europe Partnership shall let us overcome and emerge from this global crisis together, without leaving any country behind,” the premier added.

“The global peace and security are facing immense pressure and uncertainties due to intensifying geopolitical rivalries. Geopolitical fault lines are being drawn, and force small States to choose political agendas that do not reflect their will or national interests.”

“In the context of such tense geopolitical rivalry, only a trust-based partnership allows us to preserve a multilateral system that guarantees world's peace, stability, growth and prosperity. In this spirit, we all need to continue upholding the value of peace, and constantly explore necessary mechanisms to achieve this noble and cherished goal,” the premier underlined.

“The Asia-Europe parliamentary institutions will play a crucial role in enhancing trusts, in advancing Parliamentary Preventive Diplomacy, and ultimately, in securing strategic trust on security and stability issues, which are increasingly more complex and intertwined.”

“On this basis, Cambodia is committed to strictly adhering to the principles of mutual respect, mutual learning, mutual understanding, mutual trust, and mutual interest to build the necessary foundation for implementing our multilateral foreign policy. Should there be no robust multilateralism, we cannot certainly solve the aforementioned issues as a whole,” the premier added.
=FRESH NEWS