Visiting H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN, has voiced his full support for all Cambodia’s initiatives as the ASEAN Chair this year.

“We support Cambodia’s chairmanship of ASEAN. We will work closely and fully with the ASEAN Chair,” H.E. Kao Kim Hourn, Minister Attached to Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen quoted H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi as saying, after the meeting between the Cambodian Premier and the ASEAN secretary-general at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh this morning.

In the meeting, H.E. Kao Kim Hourn pointed out, both sides discussed a number of key issues, including the Myanmar crisis, the South China Sea issue, the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific, Timor-Leste’s membership of ASEAN, and beyond.

For the Myanmar crisis, Samdech Techo Hun Sen raised about the three main purposes of his recent visit to Myanmar – ceasefire, humanitarian assistance, and opening way for the special envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar to do his work – as well as about the two implementing mechanisms, i.e. the ASEAN Troika and humanitarian assistance provision. For his part, H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi supported the initiative, adding that in August 2021, a meeting was held to collect assistance for Myanmar and the first batch of relief was provided to the country in October 2021. Samdech Techo Hun Sen asked the ASEAN General Secretariat to organise another meeting as Japan has reaffirmed its readiness to help Myanmar.

Regarding the South China Sea issue, Samdech Techo Prime Minister thanked the ASEAN secretary-general for the support for the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and suggested the acceleration of the negotiations for the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi pledged to push for this work and added that the General Secretariat can provide a venue for meetings for the progress of negotiations on COC.

Concerning the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP), Samdech Techo Prime Minister asked the ASEAN secretary-general to prepare an action plan as soon as possible in 2022, while H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi promised to work with the ASEAN Chair and Indonesia, who initiated the AOIP, to create an action plan and make ASEAN the core actor in carrying out the AOIP.

For the membership of Timor-Leste in ASEAN, Samdech Techo Prime Minister said the ASEAN Political-Security Community Fact-Finding Mission (APSC FFM) had already visit Timor-Leste as part of the assessment of the country’s readiness to become a member of ASEAN, therefore the ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Fact-Finding Missions should also visit Timor-Leste in order to let the country become an ASEAN member after 11 years of waiting. In response, H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi said the General Secretariat will continue to support, particularly the capacity building of Timor-Leste’s officials, stressing “we need to see the progress in Timor-Leste’s readiness to become a member of ASEAN.”

The discussion also touched on the implementation of ASEAN Travel Corridor and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which entered into force on Jan. 1, 2022.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press