Kratie province has officially obtained the mine-free status under Samdech Techo Project for Mine Action (STP-MA) themed 'Providing Safe Ground, Creating Smiles'. A ceremony to declare Kratie as a mine-free province was held in the provincial city this morning under the presidency of Samdech Kitti Sangaha Pundit Men Sam An, a Member of the Supreme Privy Council to His Majesty the King. In a post on his social media networks this morning, Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet extended his congratulations to this achievement, saying 'Mar. 26, 2024 is a historic day when the people of Kratie province are freed from the threat of landmines and Kratie is the 15th province in Cambodia being declared mine-free.' For two decades, from 2003 to 2023, over 133 square kilometres of land, equivalent to 795 minefields have been cleared, and some 60,000 mines and other explosive remnants have been found and destroyed, by three operators, including the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces, Mines and Ex plosive Remnants of War Clearance (NPMEC), Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), and HALO Trust, benefitting almost 400,000 local people. Achievement of mine-free status by Kratie province is one of the many achievements of the 7th-mandate Royal Government of Cambodia in more than six months of office, with financial support from the 'Mine-Free Cambodia 2025' Fund and Samdech Techo Project for Mine Action, as well as the generous contribution of friendly countries, development partners and charitable people, said the Premier, adding that during the over six months, three provinces have been declared mine-free - Kampong Speu, Mondulkiri and Kratie. The other mine-free provinces are Kampong Speu, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng, Kep, Prey Veng, Preah Sihanouk, Thbong Khmum, Kampong Cham, Svay Rieng, Kampong Chhnang, Kandal, Takeo, and Kampot, and Phnom Penh capital. Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse