Phnom Penh (FN), Aug. 8 – Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, in his capacity as the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2022, said that ASEAN needs to stand by on unity for cooperation mutual interest, speaking on the 55th anniversary of ASEAN (8 August 1967- 8 August 2022).

The premier said, in the last five decades and a half, ASEAN has transformed itself from a loose arrangement to a closely-knitted and rule-based organization. It has navigated through tremendous changes in regional and global political landscapes and has emerged wiser and stronger as a family.

“It is true that ASEAN cannot guarantee the absence of wars and conflicts, but at least ASEAN has served as an open platform for constructive dialogue and consultation, which has enormously contribute to upholding peace and stability in the region. The enormous achievements to date underline the strong commitment and political will of ASEAN Leaders to preserve peace and stability, and to bring economic prosperity to an ASEAN Community embodied in the spirit of unity and solidarity,” the premier continued.

Samdech added, Cambodia is a proactive contributor to the ASEAN Political-Security Community with its steadfast commitment and collective responsibility in maintaining and promoting regional peace and security.

“We have supported the momentum of ASEAN's pro-active contribution to regional and global peace, including through UN peacekeeping operations,” the premier underlined.

"In the last 15 years, Cambodia has deployed nearly 8,000 UN peacekeepers for missions in several countries across the globe. The ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC) headquartered in Phnom Penh has also enhanced ASEAN's visibility in addressing the humanitarian aspects of the issues of landmines and the explosive remnants of war (ERW). We firmly believe that the protection of human security is an integral part of the maintenance of world peace and security.

Cambodia continues to attach great importance to the promotion of the universal principles of peaceful co-existence and friendly cooperation enshrined in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).

ASEAN needs to stand by on our unity for cooperation and mutual interest. We will strive to focus on actions that bind us together for greater prosperity of our region.

We will uphold the ASEAN spirit of "togetherness" to consolidate our efforts, internally within ASEAN and externally with our External Partners, to enhance the ASEAN solidarity and resilience so that we can achieve our goals of building a resilient ASEAN Community Vision 2025."

Samdech believed that, ASEAN can forge ahead with strength, solidarity, and friendship to overcome all the challenges that are facing us for the common good of our peoples and our region, in line with the core spirit of ASEAN: "One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
=FRESH NEWS