Cambodia Highlights Significance of Regional Connectivity Promotion

 

Cambodia has highlighted the need to enhance regional connectivity at the 13th ASEAN Connectivity Symposium, according to a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The point was made by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.E. Prak Sokhonn while presiding over the symposium themed “Enhancing Connectivity Towards an Inclusive, Sustainable, and Resilient ASEAN Community Post 2025 Vision” here in Phnom Penh on Oct. 3.

The future of this region will depend on our regional competitiveness, which can only come from a well-connected region that acts in unison, he emphasised, adding that our regional supply chains need to remain efficient and resilient.

ASEAN has to engage with her development partners to initiate various connectivity initiatives and cooperation projects all across our region. For ASEAN, the approach is about getting maximum synergy from all the various existing connectivity initiatives to extract the necessary value added.

The deputy prime minister also underlined that the entry into force of the mega free trade RCEP will drive the regional economy.

There is a need to align the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 (MPAC 2025) so that it can act as the nexus linking various strategies and initiatives in the region to support our inclusive, sustainable and resilient ASEAN, he said.

H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN stressed the need for ASEAN to be resilient, adaptable and responsive to ever-changing needs.

He further shared that ASEAN must work with all partners in the short-, medium- and long-term, and demonstrate that the resources they invested in the region will benefit them as much as it benefits ASEAN.

On his part, the President of ERIA Professor Hidetoshi Nishimura accentuated the importance of digital connection in the implementation of MPAC 2025.

He made a reference to ERIA’s work on the Comprehensive Asia Development Plan 3.0, which highlights strategies for establishing a more integrated, innovative, inclusive and sustainable economy in ASEAN and East Asia by promoting physical and digital connectivity in the region.

The ASEAN Connectivity Symposium is an annual flagship event inaugurated in 2010, and it continues to serve as a platform to engage stakeholders to identify potential areas of cooperation to enhance the implementation of MPAC 2025 and the wider ASEAN Connectivity agenda.

The event attracted over 160 participants including ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC) members, representatives from ASEAN sectorial bodies, dialogue partners, multilateral organisations, and private sector.

 

 

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press