Monday, 14 March 2011

AKP - The Agence Kampuchea Press


via CAAI

PM Hun Sen Welcomes MOU between Cambodian and South Korean Environment Institutions

Phnom Penh, March 14, 2011 AKP – Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen has welcomed the signing of MOU between Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment and South Korean’s Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), saying that the country concentrated its hope on South Korea to assist in increasing the greenness.

Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen was speaking while receiving South Korean President’s Special Envoy and GGGI’s Chairman Mr. Han Seung-soo in Phnom Penh last Friday.

He said that Cambodia was developing and despite the fact that the development was progressing with Cambodia’s own greenness, it had to be cautious as the greenness would reduce and would be replaced by dryness.

He informed the South Korean envoy that Cambodia had divided the areas into the projected zones, development zones and reforested zones to expand the natural areas and reforestation.

Speaking of the challenging issues, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said that 95 percent of Cambodian people use firewood to cook food and to produce palm sugar. He added that the loggings were banned by the Royal Government of Cambodia since 1998 and the remaining loggings are just for local consumption.

For his part, Mr. Han Seung-soo said that South Korea is much interested in growing the green resources and GGGI, which was established two years ago, would like to share the experiences in green growth with Cambodia.

Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen thanked the South Korean President for having extended to him the warm regards. –AKP

Article in Khmer by CHEY Phum Pul
Article in English by Ravuth M.

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Cambodia To Host Gems and Jewelry Exhibition in June

Phnom Penh, March 14, 2011 AKP – Cambodia is going to host the third Gems and Jewelry Exhibition in June, an official of the Ministry of Commerce said.

The exhibition is scheduled to take place from June 16 to 19 at Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Center, Phnom Penh, he indicated.

Local jewelry and gem traders as well as those from Israel, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Thailand will be invited to join the four-day exhibition, he said.

The first Gems and Jewelry Exhibition was held in 2009 and in 2010, the second exhibition attracted 49 local companies and foreign businessmen from seven countries.

Gems and jewelry are one of the major potentials for the country’s development. In Cambodia, precious stones are mostly found in the provinces of Pailin, Takeo, Ratanakiri and Kampong Thom, etc. –AKP

By KHAN Sophirom

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The International Drawing Competition on “Gender Equality” Launched

Phnom Penh, March 14, 2011 AKP – The 2011 Gender Equality Drawing Competition for Children was launched here on Mar. 11 at Preah Sisowath high school in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the International Women’s Day.

The launching ceremony was attended by Chargé d’affaires of the EU delegation to Cambodia Mr. Rafael Dochao Moreno and Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports H.E. Pit Chamnan.

The director of Phnom Penh Education Department, the president of Mith Samlanh Organization (Friends), representatives from 60 schools in Phnom Penh and more than 100 students from Preah Sisowath high school and Daun Penh primary school were also present at the event.

With a top prize of 1,000 euros (about US$1,300), the competition, jointly organized by EU and Mith Samlanh Organization, is held this year under the theme “girls and boys, together can make the world a better place”, according to Mr. Rafael Dochao Moreno.

For his part, H.E. Pit Chamnan expressed his support to the competition, stressing that drawing is very important in building people’s intelligence and knowledge.

In 2010, over 1,800 Cambodian children participated in the competition with other 50,000 children aged from 8 to 10 from 61 countries. A Cambodian boy, 8, from Anuwath primary school in Siem Reap province was among other 14 children from different regions of the world who won the competition.

The International Drawing Competition on gender equality has been run by the European Commission since 2007 with great success. The competition aims to mobilize and raise the awareness of both children and adults around the issue of gender equality. –AKP

By LIM Nary

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Cambodian Tourism Delegation Leaves for Russia and Switzerland

Phnom Penh, March 14, 2011 AKP – To build up tourism network and seek high-level partners for Cambodian capacity building, Cambodian Tourism Minister H.E. Thong Khon on Mar. 11 led a delegation to Russia and Switzerland.

In the first country, Russia, the Cambodian delegation will sign the 2012-2014 joint action work plan on tourism cooperation with the Russian counterpart. In addition to mutual tourism promotion and experience sharing, the action work plan is supposed to re-enable direct flight from Russia to Cambodia, Mr.Tith Chantha, Director General of the Ministry of Tourism told reporters at Phnom Penh International Airport before the departure of the delegation.

In Switzerland, he added, the Cambodian delegation will sign a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of Switzerland-supported cooking training center in Cambodia. Switzerland has been very famous internationally for its cooking skill and other services related to hotel and tourism.

As said by Mr. Tith Chantha, the international mission of the Cambodian tourism delegation contributes to preparing the capacity and quality of Cambodian tourism sector to welcome visitors projected to rise to 2.7 million in 2011, 3.1 million in 2012 and 7 million in 2020.

The delegation led by H.E. Thong Khon will return home on Mar. 17, 2011. –AKP

By MOM Chan Dara Soleil

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A Means to Better Women’s and Children’s Health

Phnom Penh, March 14, 2011 AKP – A health centre, located in Svay Chek commune of Angkor Thom district, Siem Reap province, was inaugurated last Friday by Plan International Cambodia in the presence of H.E. Mao Vuthy, Personal Advisor to National Assembly President Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin and Vice Governor of Siem Reap province.

Funded by the GSK (GlaxoSmithKline Pte Ltd), the approximately US$100,000 worth Svay Chek health centre was constructed under the partnership among Plan International Cambodia, Siem Reap Operational District (OD), Siem Reap Provincial Health Department and respective community people in complete conformation with the National Health Centre Architectural Design Standard.

It cost the residents of Svay Chek commune, Angkor Thom district of Siem Reap province with an average of 30,000 riels [7.5$] and 3 hours to refer a sick family member to the most attainable treatment before the existence of this local health center.

Remarkably, the deprivation of health service attributes tremendously to the high rate of maternal and child mortality rate in Cambodia and Svay Chek commune is no exception.

According to Provincial Profile 2010, Siem Reap-wide, there were 151 mother deaths per 100,000 mothers having childbirth, 8 among 1,000 children died between 0 to 1 month old and 178 children died before their fifth birthday. In Angkor Thom district alone, 4 mothers and 10 children died in 0 to 1 month after the delivery and 14 children died before their fifth birthday.

“Children mostly suffer from preventable diseases like acute respiratory infection (ARI), diarrhea and dengue fever that stifle their quality enjoyment of their education and socialization and that worsen their family economy which is already low,” said Plan Cambodia’s Siem Reap Programme Unit Manager Pich Sophary, adding that the newly constructed health center is expected to benefit more than 5,575 population (2,887 females) in which 2,749 or 49 percent are children (1,411 or more than 50 percent of them are girls).

The participatory approach will tap the health centre’s lasting quality health care service provision – a means that well responds to the commitment of Cambodian First Lady, Lok Chumteav Bun Rany Hun Sen, in her new title given by the United Nations as National Champion for the United Nations Secretary General’s Joint Plan of Action for Women’s and Children’s Health.

Svay Chek health centre is the second one of its kind supported by Plan International Cambodia. The first one is the June-2009 opened Prey health centre in Srei Snam district. It earned national recognition by the Ministry of Health as the first top among 60 health centres Siem Reap-wide for its user-friendly facilities, round-the-clock service and good moral staff.

Improving grassroots community health and practices is one of many programme interventions of Plan International Cambodia in its effort to end child poverty – an approach believed to effectively address the country’s poverty and build stronger next generations. –AKP

By MOM Chan Dara Soleil

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Workshop to Promote Community Fish Breeding Held

Phnom Penh, March 14, 2011 AKP – The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in collaboration with the European Union Food Security Programme organized here last Friday a consultative workshop to promote fish hatchery development and community-pond fish breeding at the Ministry’s Agricultural Department.

Officially opened by Mr. Srun Lim Song, Deputy Director General of Fisheries Administration, the one-day workshop is expected to enable the compilation of a fish breeding guide book that will consequently increase community food supplies.

According to Mr. Pav Ratana, Communication Officer of EU Food Security Programme, the workshop is part of the European Union Programme to boost Cambodia’s agricultural sector, especially in response to the world’s tendency of increasing food price.

The two-year programme that will end within few months, he added, has invested US$15 million in physical infrastructure like building water waterway as well as other irrigation facilities. Some of the amount also goes to service provision, like providing fingerlings, rice and vegetable seeds and capacity building to households and concerned authorities.

The programme is working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to rehabilitate and dig totally 86 community ponds to breed fish in nine provinces across Cambodia.

The fish breeding guide book produced by the workshop will thereby ensure the sustainability of fish breeding practice in both the existing and expanded community. –AKP

By MOM Chan Dara Soleil

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