A high-level delegation of European business executives will visit Phnom Penh next week to explore opportunities in Cambodia, signalling the country’s growing importance as a hub connecting Southeast Asia and Europe amid global trade uncertainty. The EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) announced that around 30 senior executives representing more than 15 major European companies across the logistics, consumer goods, financial services and aviation sectors will meet senior Cambodian officials on March 4 and 5. Key engagements include discussions with Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol and Minister of Commerce Cham Nimul, as well as meetings with the Ministries of Economy and Finance,…
Author: Raksmey Hong
The first significant rainfall of the dry season swept across several parts of Cambodia on Thursday, February 26, disrupting the living conditions of a number of displaced families sheltering in Banteay Meanchey province, local authorities said. The sudden downpour began in the afternoon and quickly triggered localised flash flooding in low-lying areas, catching residents off guard as temperatures dropped sharply after weeks of dry heat. Banteay Meanchey governor Oum Reatrey said the heavy rain did not blow away tents at displacement sites but affected several families living on lower ground. “The heavy rain yesterday did not cause the tents of…
A Cambodian social enterprise that began as a donor-supported clean water initiative has transitioned into full local ownership, marking a milestone in the country’s development journey from aid reliance to locally led solutions. International NGO iDE Cambodia announced on February 26 the handover of Hydrologic Social Enterprise Co. Ltd., the producer of the Tunsai ceramic water filter, to its Cambodian management team. The transition places the company under the leadership of Sam Sothea, who will guide the enterprise as an independent Cambodian-owned entity. The move concludes a 25-year process that began in the early 2000s, when unsafe drinking water and…
Cambodia has firmly rejected an allegation by the Thai foreign minister that the Temple of Preah Vihear is being used as a military base, invoking binding rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to reaffirm its sovereignty over the World Heritage site and dismiss what it described as legally unfounded claims. In a statement on February 27, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said it “categorically rejects” remarks attributed to Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and reported by The Nation Thailand, alleging that Cambodia had turned the ancient temple into a military installation. “The Temple of Preah Vihear…
The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) issued a February 26 caution against what it described as “unilateral conclusions” regarding the discovery of anti-personnel mines along the Cambodia–Thailand border, insisting that any findings must be subject to joint technical verification and handled in a transparent and professional manner. In a statement, the CMAA stressed that reporting on newly discovered anti-personnel mines in border areas “deserving careful, objective and responsible handling”, amid heightened sensitivities following recent discoveries. The authority reaffirmed that Cambodia remains fully committed to its obligations under the 1997 Ottawa Convention, formally known as the Anti-Personnel Mine…
Under the rising February heat in Samrong village, 56-year-old Un At tends a small, rented plot of vegetables, her hands moving quickly between rows of spinach and herbs. She owns no farmland beyond the house she lives in with her eight children. Each season depends on rented land, uncertain water and fragile crops. “I rent land from villagers to grow crops, in addition to working another job for wages,” she told The Post. “The small income from selling vegetables helps support the family and send the children to school. Some of the children work in Phnom Penh, which is better…
The Cambodian Liaison Group (CLG) arranged for the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) to visit the Preah Vihear Temple area earlier today, February 26. The trip let the regional monitors assess the situation on the ground, two months after a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand took effect. The visit took place at 10am, in Preah Vihear province’s Choam Ksan district, according to a statement from Maly Socheata, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence. “The observers were tasked with monitoring, verifying and reporting on the updated conditions in the area following the ceasefire that came into force on December 27, after…
Japan has stepped up diplomatic engagement over the Cambodia–Thailand border situation, warning that sound relations between the two neighbours are vital to the stability and development of the entire Mekong region. During a visit to Phnom Penh on February 25, Japan’s Ambassador for Mekong Cooperation Hayashi Teiji met acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Eat Sophea, as well as Minister of National Defence Tea Seiha, to exchange views on the latest developments along the border. “During the meetings, Hayashi stated that sound relations between Cambodia and Thailand are the foundation for the stability and development of the entire…
A $19 million wastewater treatment plant in Kampong Chhnang province is emerging as a model for how Cambodia can transform urban sanitation into long-term environmental protection, agricultural productivity and climate resilience. Built under the Integrated Urban Environmental Management in the Tonle Sap Basin Project in partnership with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the facility has a daily treatment capacity of 5,400 cubic metres. But officials say its real value lies beyond numbers — in how it integrates clean technology, renewable energy, farmer benefits and institutional reform into a single system. Speaking during…
Senator and agribusiness tycoon Mong Reththy is pressing ahead with what he calls a comprehensive, “one for all” strategy in Cambodia’s agricultural sector – linking animal feed production, livestock raising, egg supply and large-scale oil palm cultivation, while preparing for a future domestic cooking oil refinery. During a recent field visit to his agro-industrial zone in Prey Nob district, Preah Sihanouk province, Reththy laid out an integrated model designed to reduce imports, strengthen local supply chains and create rural employment. “Animal feed production helps a lot in the agricultural sector,” he said. “When we process cassava and corn here, we…