Prime Minister Hun Manet has provided his reasoning behind the decision to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative. He also explained that the Kingdom will become a founding member, rather than paying for a permanent seat.
“This participation is to demonstrate Cambodia’s commitment to supporting and contributing to the promotion of global peacekeeping,” Manet said this morning, January 27, via social media.
“The goodwill of loving peace, as well as supporting and contributing to peacebuilding and peacekeeping, are principles that Cambodia has always consistently adhered to, particularly through the deployment of peacekeeping forces under the United Nations umbrella to fulfil missions in various war-torn countries,” he added.
To allay public concerns over a possible cash payment, Manet explained that as a “founding member”, the Kingdom will serve a three-year term on the board, with no money changing hands. He noted that it is only “permanent members” that are asked to pay $1 billion, reportedly directly to Trump.
The board was initially formed with the intention of finding a solution to the Gaza conflict. Cambodia was invited to join on January 16.
