Parliamentarian Ly Narun (Cambodian People's Party) reflected on the history of Japan-Cambodia relations: We are very much grateful for the enormous contribution that Japan has made to our development. After touching upon the unfortunate incidents in the past, he emphasized that Cambodia's supreme law is the Constitution and therefore it is important to establish a system in which the Constitution is fully respected". While acknowledging that the current situation whereby the three parties compete for power is a cause of political instability in Cambodia, Secretary General Takebe noted that Japan expected the Cambodian legislature to stabilize over time so that the democratic spirit will be nurtured among the Cambodian people. In addition, on the basis of Cambodia becoming a member of ASEAN in 1999, he expressed Japan's hopes that all members of ASEAN would contribute to world peace and stability. The participants talked across a broad range of issues such as the necessity of active exchanges by the private sectors from both countries and the implications for freedom of religious expression in Asia. The meeting was very significant for both two countries. |
