By Neth Pheaktra
The Mekong Times
The long-dilapidated 152-km National Highway 48 is to become a major commercial artery, driving economic cooperation between Cambodia and Thailand, Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday.
The renovated Koh Kong province highway, including four new concrete bridges, was constructed with a Thai grant. The road was declared officially open yesterday, with Thai and Cambodian VIPs attending yesterday’s inauguration.
At the ceremony Hun Sen said the road and the new bridges were a major achievement for both him and the Cambodian government.
Cambodian Public Works Minister Sun Chanthol said that National Highway 48 forms part of a national plan to improve cooperation and transport infrastructure between Cambodia and Thailand. As well as easing the movement of goods and spurring industrial investment, the new road would allow Thai tourists to visit the natural attractions of Koh Kong province, he added.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Pong Chay Vong Savat said Highway 48 would be a useful link to and from major Thai economic zones bordering Cambodia. The road will drive the development of the Sihanoukville port, Cambodia’s southern coastal area and zones bordering Vietnam, he predicted.
Economic experts said the increase in road infrastructure heralds the expansion of Special Economic Zones.
Hun Sen urged the development of the industrial zone in Koh Kong, confirming that Koh Kong will be the “biggest economic zone” based on electricity generation and irrigation projects.
“It is Cambodian and Thai policy to seek means to make the border area become a friendly, peaceful and cooperative project,” the premier said, calling the development the start of “a new era.”
“In the past, residents living along the borders were poor and scared,” he added. “Now the people who live on the border between Cambodia and Thailand, Vietnam and Laos can stop being poor and scared and get rich instead.”
The renovated Koh Kong province highway, including four new concrete bridges, was constructed with a Thai grant. The road was declared officially open yesterday, with Thai and Cambodian VIPs attending yesterday’s inauguration.
At the ceremony Hun Sen said the road and the new bridges were a major achievement for both him and the Cambodian government.
Cambodian Public Works Minister Sun Chanthol said that National Highway 48 forms part of a national plan to improve cooperation and transport infrastructure between Cambodia and Thailand. As well as easing the movement of goods and spurring industrial investment, the new road would allow Thai tourists to visit the natural attractions of Koh Kong province, he added.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Pong Chay Vong Savat said Highway 48 would be a useful link to and from major Thai economic zones bordering Cambodia. The road will drive the development of the Sihanoukville port, Cambodia’s southern coastal area and zones bordering Vietnam, he predicted.
Economic experts said the increase in road infrastructure heralds the expansion of Special Economic Zones.
Hun Sen urged the development of the industrial zone in Koh Kong, confirming that Koh Kong will be the “biggest economic zone” based on electricity generation and irrigation projects.
“It is Cambodian and Thai policy to seek means to make the border area become a friendly, peaceful and cooperative project,” the premier said, calling the development the start of “a new era.”
“In the past, residents living along the borders were poor and scared,” he added. “Now the people who live on the border between Cambodia and Thailand, Vietnam and Laos can stop being poor and scared and get rich instead.”
6 comments:
Congratualtion to Koh Kong.
how long do they get rich,in one two three years?
Pensée de ROUM RITH Un pays ou propère le jeux du hasard , c'est un pays sous développé Peut être ce casino est destiné pour les riches ou les nouveaux riches ceux qui vendent leurs terres pour acheter des lancasser(prononce en khmer svp et à la plce du pantalon on porte un Krama) . Merci Samdach Ta et votre enfant chéri Samdach AKKAK SENA PROMOK ECT ECT .On fait comme si le cambodge est riche mais c'est bien pensée kand même Eduquer les gens en se basant sur le jeux du hasard ET VIVRE SAMDACH TA ET SAMDACH HUN SEN ROUM RITH DE Pyrénnées
It acelerate Siamese economic domination, and gain more profit toward Cambodia, then Siamese order more and more weapons of choice to support their claimed of caostal water and territorial overlaoing area with Cambodia. Siamese is inciting us, siamese is insulting us, what an intermidation!. Watch out Khmer!.
No problemo. We got Yuon on our side.
this is what neighbors should foster, friendship and cooperation for the benefit of all, not arrogant, harrassment or steal land from cambodia etc... remember we are living in the new century not the dark ages, so don't think you can just annex or colonize or steal cambodian land like in the dark age when there were no law and order etc... if we can learn to respect each other, then problem will discepate. cambodia are always the one to lose more than the other neighbors, so that is why cambodia is very sensitive when it comes to border dispute or being taken advantage of by thailand and vietnam, just look at history, our land used to be huge, and now we are the smallest of the mainland southeast asian nations in terms of land area. and don't even think about blackmailing cambodia just because thailand helped to build this highway or whatever. you can't say you help in exchange for cambodia to lose more land or whatever because khmer people will never agree or accept that condition despite one or two weak leaders may have done it. keep in mind that the khmer people are more numerous than their few leaders, so leaders should consult with its majority people before making any kind of personal favor in exchange for losing the precious land of cambodia anymore. enough is enough already. can't compromise national interest for personal ones; it is against cambodian law and could get someone booted from office if don't respect law. having said that. let's continue to help cambodia to develop so cambodia people can prosperous like the thai and viet people etc..., then will khmer people can learn to love the thai and the viet, otherwise, khmers are not fond of you people. it's going to take time, just don't blackmail us, though!
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