At the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) on Tuesday, National Assembly president Heng Samrin highlighted Cambodia’s culture of sharing and its increased focus on developing the Kingdom’s agriculture sector amid Covid-19.
He was speaking at the organisation’s 41st General Assembly which was hosted by the Vietnamese parliament.
Samrin urged ASEAN to integrate further to facilitate the flow of goods, services and people during the severe economic crisis caused by Covid-19.
He said ASEAN needed to work together for a common benefit. In ASEAN, where he said the pandemic had been actively and promptly managed, there is a wide range of experiences, knowledge and information to be shared.
He said ASEAN established the ASEAN Fund for the Response to Covid-19 to meet the region’s essential needs. The fight against Covid-19, he said, requires a lot of funding, equipment and manpower.
“What Cambodia can provide is the experience of promoting and inspiring a culture of sharing. It’s sharing from public and private institutions to the people, sharing from development partners and NGOs to the people and sharing among the people.
This culture presents the spirit of sharing, solidarity and national unity,” Samrin said.
He said to this point in time, ASEAN countries have maintained the stability of key supply chains to meet the needs of the current crisis.
In Cambodia, Samrin said the government had shifted its development strategy based on comparative and competitive advantages. The government has set out strategies focusing on agriculture, agro-industry, digital transformation and domestic tourism as priority sectors.
“The Cambodian parliament supports ASEAN’s efforts to maintain and promote peace, security and stability in the region, and to resolve conflicts peacefully based on the principles of international law and diplomatic mechanisms to prevent the use of weapons,” Samrin said.
The AIPA will continue until Thursday under the theme Parliamentary Diplomacy to Achieve a Cohesive and Responsible ASEAN Community.
