Ly Thuch, first vice-president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), met with outgoing Japanese ambassador to Cambodia Masahiro Mikami on December 13 to express his gratitude to the envoy for his years of service working to build closer ties between the two nations.
Thuch extended his “profound thanks” to the Japanese government and people for joining Cambodia in seeking peace and helping to develop the Kingdom in all sectors, including their support for mine action.
“We have accomplished historic achievements over the past 30 years, with the indispensable support of Japan, which has always been a prominent partner, and I commend [Mikami] for his efforts to build a closer relationship between the two countries and peoples during his tenure in Cambodia,” he said.
Thuch said that recently mine action in Cambodia has reached a turning point, with the increased participation of the private sector and donors joining the national movement of the Samdech Techo Project for Mine Action (STP-MA) that is now racing towards the goal of a mine-free Cambodia in 2025.
To accelerate the goal achievement, he said Prime Minister Hun Sen has established the Mine-Free Cambodia 2025 Fund with an initial funding of $30 million.
At the meeting, Mikami said he was very pleased to have had the opportunity to represent his country on this diplomatic mission to Cambodia and that he had gained countless fond memories of the Cambodian people and his time living in the Kingdom.
“Currently, the historic relationship of our countries has reached comprehensive strategic partnership level and I will continue to do my part in Japan to foster cooperation, and especially to encourage more investment in Cambodia,” he said.
