Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng has lauded the fruitful collaboration between France, Germany and the interior ministry, emphasising the significant strides made in local administrative reforms, particularly in the areas of decentralisation and deconcentration.
Sar Kheng welcomed French ambassador Jacques Pellet and his German counterpart Stefan Messerer to the Peace Palace for a June 5 meeting. He took to social media to describe the successful meeting.
“I offered my gratitude to the governments and people of France and Germany for their sustained support, and acknowledged the strong cooperation that has been fostered by all three of our nations in the past several decades,” he said.
“Excellent results have been achieved in our cooperation with the relevant French and German institutions, especially through their support for our decentralisation and deconcentration reforms,” he added.
The French ambassador spoke for both countries when he asserted their strong partnership with the Cambodian government. Pellet said France and Germany have offered support in several areas for over three decades.
During their discussions, the ambassadors highlighted three critical topics: The preparations for the national election, the role of civil society, and the contributions of French and German entities to the Kingdom’s social development. The trio also discussed the construction of a legal framework to strengthen law enforcement cooperation.
On election preparations, Sar Kheng informed the ambassadors that 18 political parties were preparing to contest the upcoming election.
Drawing from previous experiences, he highlighted the enhanced maintenance of public order from one election to another, noting the interior ministry’s focus on ensuring a safe, non-violent electoral environment.
He expressed his optimism and confidence regarding the secure atmosphere for the upcoming election and all future ones.
