Phnom Penh, January 12, 2019 –Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, this morning told the European Community (EC) not to make another mistake to Cambodia.
The message was sent to the EC during a meeting with a visiting Member of Parliament of Ireland, H.E. Enda Patrick Kenny, at the Peace Palace, Phnom Penh, H.E. Eang Sophalleth, Assistant to the Cambodian Premier told reporters after the meeting.
The EC should not make the third mistake to Cambodia by threatening to withdraw the Everything But Arms (EBA) trade preferences from Cambodia, underlined Samdech Techo Hun Sen on the occasion.
The EC’s first mistake was its support to the Coup d’Etat in 1970 against His Majesty the late King-Father Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, the then Head of State, and the second one was its support to the Khmer Rouge at the United Nations for more than 12 years, while the Khmer Rouge killed millions of people, he recalled.
Samdech Techo Prime Minister continued that he conveyed this message to the EC through H.E. Enda Patrick Kenny in order to inform and explain to them about the reality in Cambodia. The development of Cambodia is inseparable from the EC’s contribution, he stressed.
H.E. Enda Patrick Kenny expressed his appreciation for the current political stability and progress in Cambodia under the leadership of Samdech Techo Hun Sen.
He further voiced his support to Cambodian human resource development efforts and sought for more information regarding the relations between Cambodia and EC.
In reply, Samdech Techo Hun Sen thanked H.E. Enda Patrick Kenny for joining Dr. Haruhisa Handa, Founder of Handa Foundation, in developing the education sector in Cambodia. He also expressed his gratitude to Ireland for its assistance to Cambodia, especially to the UN-backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
By Heng Panha
