Sun, 23 Mar 2008
DPA
Phnom Penh - Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni is scheduled to receive a guided tour of the Brunei Shell Petroleum complex during his official visit next week, according to an itinerary received from a palace source Sunday. Sihamoni is scheduled to arrive in the oil-rich sultanate at the personal invitation of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Monday for a three-day visit.
Brunei, a fellow member of the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations, has said it is advising Cambodia on management of potentially rich offshore oil reserves which the currently impoverished nation expects to tap by the end of the decade.
The royal visit is reciprocal after the sultan's visit to Cambodia last April.
Brunei Shell Petroleum Sdn Bhd in the oil fields of Seria is a company jointly owned by the sultan's government and Royal Dutch Shell, according to the Brunei Petroleum Unit website.
The government site says the Petroleum Unit acts on behalf of the Brunei government "as a regulatory body prudently monitors and oversees all activities that are carried out by concessionaires holding concession areas in Brunei Darussalam."
Sihamoni is scheduled to end his visit Wednesday after a series of engagements featuring meetings with Brunei Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtader, a banquet hosted by the sultan in his honour and meetings with various officials expected to further focus on oil and gas.
Donors have voiced concern that endemic corruption may turn Cambodia's potential oil wealth into a curse.
Brunei, however, has been very supportive of Cambodia in its bid to use oil to assist it in shrugging off its donor dependency after 30 years of civil war.
Brunei, a fellow member of the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations, has said it is advising Cambodia on management of potentially rich offshore oil reserves which the currently impoverished nation expects to tap by the end of the decade.
The royal visit is reciprocal after the sultan's visit to Cambodia last April.
Brunei Shell Petroleum Sdn Bhd in the oil fields of Seria is a company jointly owned by the sultan's government and Royal Dutch Shell, according to the Brunei Petroleum Unit website.
The government site says the Petroleum Unit acts on behalf of the Brunei government "as a regulatory body prudently monitors and oversees all activities that are carried out by concessionaires holding concession areas in Brunei Darussalam."
Sihamoni is scheduled to end his visit Wednesday after a series of engagements featuring meetings with Brunei Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtader, a banquet hosted by the sultan in his honour and meetings with various officials expected to further focus on oil and gas.
Donors have voiced concern that endemic corruption may turn Cambodia's potential oil wealth into a curse.
Brunei, however, has been very supportive of Cambodia in its bid to use oil to assist it in shrugging off its donor dependency after 30 years of civil war.
3 comments:
It is quite predictable that the Cambodian new found wealth of oil will become a curse or even a new break out of a civil war because of the uncurable greed of the Cambodian leaders. The Cambodian leaders are extremely obsess with power and richness over the hard lives of their naive citizens. Cambodians are by and large so helpless because of the undeniable dictatorship and corruption backed by the lawless gang of arm forces.
Wrong, Khmer leaders are not greedy. They work hard 24/7 for the wellbeing of the people. It is the SRP who is desperate and greedy for power. They are the one who used people suffering for their interest.
with careful planning and studies from the past mistakes, ours and others, cambodia can avoid the path of nigeria or the congo and be more like brunei, and other good opec countries out there. i'm very optimistic for cambodia. cambodia just have to be careful not to be like those failed states out there. thank you and god bless cambodia.
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