Regional meet

Developed nations are largely to blame for climate change, according to Cambodian People’s Party legislator Chheang Von, the president of Cambodia’s dele-gation to this month’s ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.

“Climate change is happening because many developed countries have destroyed the atmosphere,” he said yesterday, speaking at a conference about the upcoming summit.

“The environment is broken, so developed and developing nations must work together to fix it.”

Climate change will be at the top of the agenda for the annual assembly, to be held in Phnom Penh from September 18 to 24.

Regional security and the economy would also be dis-cussion, Chheang Von said.

Regional security  was a hot topic because of increasing border tensions between ASEAN countries, he added.

Speaking on the economy, Chheang Von encouraged a “culture of sharing” among ASEAN member states and called on wealthier nations to support their poorer neighbours.

Opposition Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Yim Sovann said  it was important for AIPA to address the border conflict with Vietnam, an issue he said was sometimes overshadowed by tensions with Thailand.