Phnom Penh (FN), Sep. 23 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced that although Cambodia has withdrawn from the Cambodia-Laos-Viet Nam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA), the Royal Government’s policy to develop the Northeastern provinces remain unchanged.

Samdech Thipadei spoke in a special voice message on Monday (Sep. 23) to address some citizens’ concerns over the development in the Northeastern provinces.

Samdech Thipadei underscored that, "Regardless of CLV-DTA cooperation, the Royal Government of Cambodia will continue to develop the Northeastern region, while ensuring the protection of Cambodia's territory and sovereignty. This aligns with the desires of the overwhelming majority of Cambodians, especially those living in the Northeastern provinces. Therefore, Cambodia's policy to promote development in the Northeast remains unchanged, including border demarcation with neighbouring countries, the construction of connecting infrastructure—particularly the border ring road—and the introduction of incentives and investment promotion packages for the Northeast by 2025."

In the message, Samdech Thipadei also expressed gratitude to both local and international citizens who have volunteered to contribute to the construction of border infrastructure, including the border ring road, with nearly 700,000 people participating and a budget of around USD 21 million. He noted that these contributions will be directed toward the construction of border infrastructure, with a particular focus on the border ring road.

According to Samdech Thipadei, the construction of the Lao-Thai-Viet Nam border ring road began in 1994, and to date, Cambodia has completed 1,300 kilometres, with approximately 1,300 kilometres still remaining.

Noting the continued flow of donations for the construction of border infrastructure, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet confirmed that the working group will continue to accept the donations until 31 October 2024. Afterward, the team will announce the final amount collected and provide a clear plan for utilizing the funds.

For the weekend visits to the Northeastern provinces, the premier announced the continuation of the project throughout 2024, allowing people to witness the development of the Northeastern provinces.

It should be noted that the Royal Government announced its withdrawal from the CLV-DTA on 20 September 2024. This decision aimed to remove weapons from the hands of the extremists to prevent them from using the CLV-DTA to further deceive people.
=FRESH NEWS