Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Kingdom to talk cooperation with EU at online meet

Kingdom to talk cooperation with EU at online meet

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Justice ministry spokesman Chin Malin (centre). Justice Ministry

Kingdom to talk cooperation with EU at online meet

Cambodia will host the 11th Meeting of the Cambodia-EU Joint Committee on November 25-27 and November 30 via video link, according to Ministry of Justice secretary of state Chin Malin.

Malin told The Post on November 15 that the meeting is held every other year and is alternately hosted. In 2018, Cambodia attended the 10th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, which was hosted by the EU. This year, the Kingdom is set to host the meeting in Phnom Penh.

“The meeting will discuss all aspects of cooperation between the Cambodian government and the EU, evaluating our past cooperation in all areas and determining what we’ll need to do together down the line,” he said.

On November 13, Malin led a working group to meet EU ambassador to Cambodia Carmen Moreno via video link to work out the organisational details of the meeting.

The two sides reviewed their past judicial cooperation and listed a number of issues and challenges to address at the end-of-the-month meeting.

Malin said: “The EU still wants to work with Cambodia and wants to continue and strengthen cooperation in all areas. The Everything But Arms [EBA] trade scheme is old news, it’s in the past, an old political event, already relegated to the shadows.

“What we need to do now is discuss what we can do together to move forward for the benefit of the EU and the Cambodian people as a whole.

“As we turn the page to a new era, we must work out what we, Cambodia and the EU, can do together for the benefit of the whole Cambodian nation, the EU and each of its member countries.”

Political analyst Lao Mong Hay said Cambodia had worked with a lot of countries in the field of justice since the 1993 Constitution came into force, but pointed out that its judicial independence and human rights record leave much to be desired.

“Sanctions on Cambodia in the form of EBA [withdrawal] are not misaligned with the EU’s policy of supporting its development, because it was Cambodia’s decision not to respect the human-rights conditions of the duty-free regime.

“Providing judicial cooperation with Cambodia is also within the framework of the policy,” he said.

According to the Constitution, the judiciary is independent and has the primary duty of protecting the rights and freedoms of Cambodians. The King ensures that Cambodians’ rights and freedoms are protected and guarantees judicial independence.

But Mong Hay was of the view that judicial independence had been compromised by political control and ministerial interference.

On the other hand, he said successful Cambodian-EU justice cooperation could help the Kingdom meet its human rights obligations and convince the bloc to fully restore EBA preferential access to its market.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ream base allegations must end, urges official

    A senior government official urges an end to the allegations and suspicions surrounding the development of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, now that Prime Minister Hun Manet has addressed the issue on the floor of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78). Jean-Francois Tain, a geopolitical

  • Cambodia set to celebrate Koh Ker UNESCO listing

    To celebrate the inscription of the Koh Ker archaeological site on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the Ministry of Cults and Religion has appealed to pagodas and places of worship to celebrate the achievement by ringing bells, shaking rattles and banging gongs on September 20. Venerable

  • CP denied registration documents by ministry

    The Ministry of Interior will not reissue registration documents to the Candlelight Party (CP). Following a September 21 meeting between ministry secretary of state Bun Honn and CP representatives, the ministry cited the fact that there is no relevant law which would authorise it to do

  • PM to open new Siem Reap int’l airport December 1

    Prime Minister Hun Manet and Chinese leaders would jointly participate in the official opening of the new Chinese-invested Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport on December 1. The airport symbolises a new page in the history of Cambodian aviation, which will be able to welcome long-distance flights to

  • Cambodian diaspora laud Manet’s UN Assembly visit

    Members of the Cambodian diaspora are rallying in support of Prime Minister Hun Manet’s forthcoming visit to the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) in the US’ New York City this week. Their move is an apparent response to a recent call by self-exiled former

  • Minimum wage set at $204, after Sep 28 vote

    The minimum wage for factory workers in the garment, footwear and travel goods industries for 2024 has been decided at $204 per month, with the government contributing $2. Following several negotiation sessions, the tripartite talks reached an agreement during a September 28 vote, with 46 of 51 votes supporting the $202 figure.