Author: Makoto Ichikawa

Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen has urged Qatar to open a permanent embassy in Cambodia with the resumption of Qatar Airline flights.

He made this statement on May 8 on the occasion of allowing Khalid Ali Abdullah Abel, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Cambodia, to pay a courtesy call at the Senate in Phnom Penh.

During the meeting, Hun Sen frankly stated that Qatar, a rich country, should open its own embassy in Cambodia rather than have a residence in another country. He reminded that when he was the Prime Minister, he did not have enough time to receive ambassadors with residences abroad, as this was a special case.

Cambodia-Qatar diplomatic relations began in 2008 when the Prime Minister of Qatar paid a royal visit to Cambodia.

He added that Qatar should resume Qatar Airline flights after being disrupted by COVID-19 in the past to allow people-to-people contacts, as well as bringing visitors from the Middle East and Europe to Cambodia and also bringing visitors from Cambodia and ASEAN to Qatar.

Ambassador Khalid Ali Abdullah Abel stated that the reason he came here was to reap the benefits of the two countries, promising to work hard to attract investors from Qatar to Cambodia as well as bring investors from Cambodia to Qatar to explore the possibility of investment cooperation.

The Ambassador stated that “Qatar has the potential to invest in energy, oil and gas, infrastructure, hospital construction, airports, and more, and Qatar is reviewing the resumption of Qatar Airline, citing the favourable conditions for Qatar tourists to travel to other destinations.”

Hun Sen said that the relationship between the two countries depends on economic ties; as long as the economic ties are strong, the political ties are strong. He urges to look at the possibility between the two countries: 1) To give investors confidence, it is necessary to have an investment protection agreement; 2). to have a non-overlapping tax agreement; and even better, if possible, to establish a Free Trade Zone Agreement, as Cambodia has done with China, Korea, and Saudi Arabia.

Peng Ponea, Minister of Public Works and Transport and Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC), participated on May 8 in the celebration of the 15th National Road Safety Week in Battambang Province under the chairmanship of Sar Sokha, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Chairman of the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC).

The event was held at Battambang Provincial Stadium with the participation of members of the National Road Safety Committee, the Governor of the Board of Governors and Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Road Safety of Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Siem Reap, and Pursat Provinces, local authorities, the Police Force, the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, representatives of national and international organisations, private companies, teachers, students, youth, and the population, a total of more than 1,200 people.

Speaking on this occasion, Sar Sokha highlighted that the road accidents in the first quarter of 2024 are the same as in the first quarter of 2023; there is no decrease yet. A total of 781 accidents occurred, resulting in 387 deaths and 1,084 injuries, with an average of nine accidents per day, resulting in more than four deaths and 12 injuries.

The Chairman of the NRSC also took this opportunity to urge all road users to remember that only the spirit of responsibility to respect the law on road traffic, increasing caution at all times when travelling on the road, morality, understanding, and tolerance are necessary to avoid traffic accidents and always have safety on the road.