In response to a request from the Post, the Royal Government submitted the following

New Year message to the readers of the Phnom Penh Post.

THE Royal Government would like to express its congratulations to the Phnom Penh

Post newspaper that has extended its efforts to encourage the foreign press in Cambodia

with professionalism, and also wish the staff of the Post all the best for the coming

New Year. In the meantime, the Royal Government would like to share with the Post's

readers some of the successes which have been achieved by the Royal Government in

the two years of its existence.

1. Under the clear-sighted leadership of His Majesty the King Preah Bat Samdech

Preah Norodom Sihanouk Varman, the Kingdom of Cambodia has fully obtained Independence,

Sovereignty and its territorial integrity. This is the greatest achievement.

2. For the past two years, the Royal Government's national reconciliation

and unified policies under the glorious guidelines of His Majesty the King and concurently

with the adherence to the democratic system and the respect of human rights, Cambodia

is a stable country. Stability is the main factor for the strengthening of economic

development.

3. The Royal Government has been persistently building up its country step

by step, in order to eliminate poverty of the people, thoroughly develop the countryside,

enlarging agriculture and industrial sectors and develop infrastruture nationwide.

For example, the Royal Government has been focusing on the rehabilitation and the

construction of water systems, dams, resevoirs and irrigation systems. It has accomplished

the cultivation of over 1,979,300 hectares of land in 1995. Starvation which resulted

from the floods, droughts and other natural disasters have definitely been eradicated.

With the implementation of a free market economy the Royal Government is absorbing

and encouraging both national and international investors coming to invest in the

country with more than 2,000 million US dollars of capital investment in this year:

1995.

Industrial factories are employing more than 10,000 workers. Total income from local

production is valued at $57,144,077.

In terms of tourism, the Royal Government has attracted up to 200,000 national and

foreign tourists in 1995.

4. Because of its economic development, democratic system and respect for

human rights, Cambodia has become an observer in ASEAN and possibly will be a full

member of this organization in the near future. Cambodia also enjoys good relations

with all countries near and far.

In conclusion, the Royal Government wishes all the best to the Phnom Penh Post and

its readers and encourages the Post to continue its good efforts in the future. For

its part, the Royal Government will seek to build on its initial successes during

the first two years of its existence in its efforts to meet the long-term aspirations

of the Cambodian people.