(Tokyo): Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed his pride in the growing technological capabilities of Cambodian youth, highlighting their ability to develop various software and digital applications—achievements he said the nation should be proud of.

The premier spoke on Saturday (May 31) during a meeting with Cambodian community in Japan.

Samdech Thipadei shared that Cambodia has now reached a stage where it can begin integrating robotics technology and is making progress in areas such as artificial intelligence and digital innovation. Cambodian youth are now capable of developing a wide range of software, eliminating the previous dependence on foreign programmes and applications. The premier cited the example of accounting software once purchased from Singapore for between USD 200,000 and USD 300,000—such as that used by Lucky Supermarket—which is now developed domestically by Cambodian programmers.

“Khmer people are not inferior. We built Angkor and many other achievements. What matters is opportunity. After the war ended, we had the chance to pursue education. Our education system is improving—it’s not perfect yet, but we are making progress. Cambodian youth are competing in mathematics and robotics at the international level, and they are winning,” the premier underscored.

On the occasion, the premier also highlighted that the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications had developed an application called verify.com, which is now being adopted by several countries. The application won a gold medal at ASEAN-level competitions, outperforming other regional entries.

“Of course, we still face many challenges and limitations in capacity, but at the very least, we should be proud of how far we’ve come—from having nothing to reaching this level. That is something we should genuinely take pride in,” Samdech Thipadei continued.

Samdech Thipadei encouraged Cambodian youth—both at home and abroad—to be proud of their accomplishments. In the past, we relied on financial support from our parents or guardians. Today, we have the ability to earn independently.

Prime Minister Hun Manet added, “This is no different from Japan. They have been manufacturing cars for decades, but when they first began, they were proud of every breakthrough—just like us. They were proud of their innovations and new technological discoveries.”
=FRESH NEWS