Iran sanctions: Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong speaks during a news conference in Phnom Penh August 6. 'To impose sanctions against Iran is not a solution,' Hor told reporters Aug. 16 in Phnom Penh, days after his meeting in Tehran with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Chor Sokunthea/ReutersAs Iran sanctions threaten, Iran sees new friend in Cambodia
Leaders from Iran and Cambodia met this month in their most senior exchange to date. Some say it is a sign that Iran sanctions are pushing Tehran to develop new trade partners.
August 26, 2010
By Stephen Kurczy, Staff writer
The Christian Science Monitor
Iran seems to have found a new friend in the unlikeliest of places: Cambodia. Tehran hosted a high-level delegation from the Southeast Asian nation earlier this month to discuss bilateral trade and mutual dislike of American "interference."
It's the latest sign that the Islamic republic is seeking out new partners – no matter how small – in the face of increased sanctions.
"There is no doubt that Iran’s growing isolation, resulting from the force of UN sanctions, is behind Iran’s push to improve relations with Cambodia and other willing states," says Alon Ben-Meir of the Center for Global Affairs at New York University. "The sanctions against Iran are having a serious effect. For this reason, Iran at this juncture will trade with any country it may find. Cambodia happened to be an easy target because of its energy vulnerability."
In June, the United Nations, European Union, and United States all passed sanctions in an effort to target Iran's uranium-enrichment program.
"To impose sanctions against Iran is not a solution," Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters Aug. 16 in Phnom Penh, days after his meeting in Tehran with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mr. Hor advised "negotiations and engagement" instead.
Iran offers trade, technology
The two countries established formal relations in 1992 as Cambodia emerged from civil war, but Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith says this is the most senior bilateral exchange to date.
"Iran requested to have a diplomatic relation with Cambodia. We don't see any objection to that," says Mr. Khieu, who is also the minister of Information. "Our policy toward Middle Eastern countries is to sell more of our products, mainly agricultural, and try to get more knowledge on oil management."
The summit touched on trade, investment, tourism, and oil, which is notable in light of Cambodia's hopes to tap recently discovered offshore oil reserves. After years of exploration and speculation – from international firms such as Total and Chevron – oil production is projected to begin in 2012. Then, in mid-August, a top Cambodian official told Nikkei news agency that Cambodia is looking into nuclear technology and hopes to build its first nuclear power plant as early as 2020.
President Ahmadinejad "voiced readiness to share Iran's experiences with Cambodia in various fields of agriculture, science, technology, and research," according to Fars News Agency. The two sides agreed to establish a joint economic commission to explore opportunities, according to The Tehran Times.
Shared dislike of American 'interference'
They also found common ground in rejecting pressure from the US. “My country has always been opposed to the interference of the United States in other countries’ internal affairs," Hor said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
Economic ties remain minimal between Iran and Cambodia. The two countries’ trade value during the past Iranian calendar year (ending March 20, 2010) stood at $539,000, according to The Tehran Times. In the three months prior to June 21, Iran exported $120,000 and imported $66,000 to and from Cambodia.
Even more than a new economic partner, Iran is apparently looking to Cambodia as a conduit to reach greater Southeast Asia through the 10-country Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). "Cambodia can play a key role in connecting Iran and the association," Iran's Accredited Ambassador to Cambodia Seyed Javad Qavam Shahidi told the FARS news agency after Hor's visit.
Web of geopolitics
In the complex web of geopolitics, it makes sense that Iran would warm relations with Cambodia, says British historian Philip Short. China woos Cambodia and Burma as counterweights to regional power India, while also wooing Iran and Pakistan as counterweights to longtime rival Russia, he says.
"So, for Cambodia and Iran – both Beijing’s good friends – to get cozy isn't a surprise at all. In fact, one wonders why it didn’t happen earlier," says Mr. Short, author of the Khmer Rouge history "Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare" and the biography "Mao: A life."
"For Cambodia there’s an obvious economic interest," continues Short. "And for Iran, which is still pretty isolated, the more diplomatic support it can garner the better."
China has invested millions in infrastructure projects in Cambodia. In December 2009, Beijing pledged $1.2 billion in aid and soft loans. That made China a bigger benefactor to Cambodia than all other countries combined. In July, international donors pledged $1.1 billion in annual aid to Cambodia, which was still the most ever from them. "China is Cambodia’s best buddy," says Short.
But Cambodia has also been courted avidly by Washington in recent years. In July, US soldiers participated in a peacekeeping exercise with troops from 23 Asia Pacific nations as part of the US-run 2010 Global Peace Operations Initiative. Washington and Beijing have long competed for influence in the region, with China supporting the Khmer Rouge insurgency against a US-backed government of the 1970s.
No warning from Washington?
Cambodia's business community appears unfazed by the country's newfound friendship with Iran.
"If Iran wishes to offer any material support to Cambodia, why shouldn’t they accept it? Cambodia is a neutral country with a lot of needs, and welcomes all the help it can get," says Douglas Clayton, CEO of the private equity fund Leopard Capital, which has attracted international investors to a $34 million multisector equity fund in Cambodian businesses.
A spokesperson from the US Embassy in Phnom Penh says that Washington urges "all UN Member States, including Cambodia, to fulfill the objectives of UNSCR 1929 (United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929) by meeting not only their mandatory minimum obligations but also by applying accompanying measures." UNSCR 1929 was passed in June to target Iran's nuclear enrichment program.
While Cambodia's government spokesman says that Phnom Penh has not been warned against developing ties with Iran, Professor Ben-Meir of New York University suspects the US may have dropped a hint to Cambodia against getting too close.
"Soon Cambodia itself will begin to feel the pressure from the international community to stop trading with Iran," he says. "Cambodia therefore will continue to play a balancing act, swaying from which side it is getting the greater benefit. For this reason, the United States and the EU will have to come up with some aid to Cambodia if they wish to distance Cambodia from Iran."
August 26, 2010
By Stephen Kurczy, Staff writer
The Christian Science Monitor
Iran seems to have found a new friend in the unlikeliest of places: Cambodia. Tehran hosted a high-level delegation from the Southeast Asian nation earlier this month to discuss bilateral trade and mutual dislike of American "interference."
It's the latest sign that the Islamic republic is seeking out new partners – no matter how small – in the face of increased sanctions.
"There is no doubt that Iran’s growing isolation, resulting from the force of UN sanctions, is behind Iran’s push to improve relations with Cambodia and other willing states," says Alon Ben-Meir of the Center for Global Affairs at New York University. "The sanctions against Iran are having a serious effect. For this reason, Iran at this juncture will trade with any country it may find. Cambodia happened to be an easy target because of its energy vulnerability."
In June, the United Nations, European Union, and United States all passed sanctions in an effort to target Iran's uranium-enrichment program.
"To impose sanctions against Iran is not a solution," Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters Aug. 16 in Phnom Penh, days after his meeting in Tehran with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mr. Hor advised "negotiations and engagement" instead.
Iran offers trade, technology
The two countries established formal relations in 1992 as Cambodia emerged from civil war, but Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith says this is the most senior bilateral exchange to date.
"Iran requested to have a diplomatic relation with Cambodia. We don't see any objection to that," says Mr. Khieu, who is also the minister of Information. "Our policy toward Middle Eastern countries is to sell more of our products, mainly agricultural, and try to get more knowledge on oil management."
The summit touched on trade, investment, tourism, and oil, which is notable in light of Cambodia's hopes to tap recently discovered offshore oil reserves. After years of exploration and speculation – from international firms such as Total and Chevron – oil production is projected to begin in 2012. Then, in mid-August, a top Cambodian official told Nikkei news agency that Cambodia is looking into nuclear technology and hopes to build its first nuclear power plant as early as 2020.
President Ahmadinejad "voiced readiness to share Iran's experiences with Cambodia in various fields of agriculture, science, technology, and research," according to Fars News Agency. The two sides agreed to establish a joint economic commission to explore opportunities, according to The Tehran Times.
Shared dislike of American 'interference'
They also found common ground in rejecting pressure from the US. “My country has always been opposed to the interference of the United States in other countries’ internal affairs," Hor said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
Economic ties remain minimal between Iran and Cambodia. The two countries’ trade value during the past Iranian calendar year (ending March 20, 2010) stood at $539,000, according to The Tehran Times. In the three months prior to June 21, Iran exported $120,000 and imported $66,000 to and from Cambodia.
Even more than a new economic partner, Iran is apparently looking to Cambodia as a conduit to reach greater Southeast Asia through the 10-country Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). "Cambodia can play a key role in connecting Iran and the association," Iran's Accredited Ambassador to Cambodia Seyed Javad Qavam Shahidi told the FARS news agency after Hor's visit.
Web of geopolitics
In the complex web of geopolitics, it makes sense that Iran would warm relations with Cambodia, says British historian Philip Short. China woos Cambodia and Burma as counterweights to regional power India, while also wooing Iran and Pakistan as counterweights to longtime rival Russia, he says.
"So, for Cambodia and Iran – both Beijing’s good friends – to get cozy isn't a surprise at all. In fact, one wonders why it didn’t happen earlier," says Mr. Short, author of the Khmer Rouge history "Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare" and the biography "Mao: A life."
"For Cambodia there’s an obvious economic interest," continues Short. "And for Iran, which is still pretty isolated, the more diplomatic support it can garner the better."
China has invested millions in infrastructure projects in Cambodia. In December 2009, Beijing pledged $1.2 billion in aid and soft loans. That made China a bigger benefactor to Cambodia than all other countries combined. In July, international donors pledged $1.1 billion in annual aid to Cambodia, which was still the most ever from them. "China is Cambodia’s best buddy," says Short.
But Cambodia has also been courted avidly by Washington in recent years. In July, US soldiers participated in a peacekeeping exercise with troops from 23 Asia Pacific nations as part of the US-run 2010 Global Peace Operations Initiative. Washington and Beijing have long competed for influence in the region, with China supporting the Khmer Rouge insurgency against a US-backed government of the 1970s.
No warning from Washington?
Cambodia's business community appears unfazed by the country's newfound friendship with Iran.
"If Iran wishes to offer any material support to Cambodia, why shouldn’t they accept it? Cambodia is a neutral country with a lot of needs, and welcomes all the help it can get," says Douglas Clayton, CEO of the private equity fund Leopard Capital, which has attracted international investors to a $34 million multisector equity fund in Cambodian businesses.
A spokesperson from the US Embassy in Phnom Penh says that Washington urges "all UN Member States, including Cambodia, to fulfill the objectives of UNSCR 1929 (United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929) by meeting not only their mandatory minimum obligations but also by applying accompanying measures." UNSCR 1929 was passed in June to target Iran's nuclear enrichment program.
While Cambodia's government spokesman says that Phnom Penh has not been warned against developing ties with Iran, Professor Ben-Meir of New York University suspects the US may have dropped a hint to Cambodia against getting too close.
"Soon Cambodia itself will begin to feel the pressure from the international community to stop trading with Iran," he says. "Cambodia therefore will continue to play a balancing act, swaying from which side it is getting the greater benefit. For this reason, the United States and the EU will have to come up with some aid to Cambodia if they wish to distance Cambodia from Iran."
19 comments:
Great news if Cambodia and Iran develop positive, co-operative relations for their mutual benefits!
Why not?
Both countries share good reasons to be wary of the real "evil empire" - the USA - a failed state on the brink of economic bankruptcy to match its already moral bankruptcy and addiction to war.
Remember that Cambodia was bombed viciously in the past by the USA, which then went on to actively support Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge.
Remember also that Iran's democratically-elected government was overthrown by the US decades ago, and they have been plotting 'regime change' again for their own imperialist motives.
Enough of USA lies about Iran's peaceful nuclear programme, which it has every legal right to pursue!
There is NO evidence of any nuclear weapons programme. Iran is a member of the IAEA subject to international monitoring of its nuclear material - unlike Israel, the only nuclear-weapons state in the Middle East.
The USA & EU sanctions against Iran go far beyond even the UN sanctions, and are effectively already a dangerous declaration of war against Iran, which should be condemned.
Any military attack by Israel or the USA on Iran would be yet another illegal, imperialist aggression to benefit the western war profiteering ruling class.
Have we already forgotten the deliberate lies and deceptions that led us by the nose into criminal wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.?
Cambodia and Iran should be friends, and unite against the bloodthirsty USA empire!
Perhaps the end of the wold?
Devil Iran will get bombs by Israel sooner or later. The new devil trying to be is Cambodia is next?
Why Iran ? while SUPPER POWER get headache with Iran ,our Cambodian try to back Iran up or something?
Wrong move and miscalculate the world politic.
This is why I say Mr. Hun Sen is clever. He wish to play game with all sides. one of his comment that I note is, He don't mind white cat or black cat, if the cat can catch the mouse if we will select that cat. Why we are fond of US, the West or China. We need help to be stronger, who can give us this, we approach them. He is creating basic for next generation, then after him, the next government want to fight with Vietname is up to them. now we are too weak to oppose Vietnam or Thailand.
ah ugly and dying hor nam hong, stop barging ah doggy of yuon
Shut the fuck up Mr. Hor, do you want Cambodia be sanctioned by U.S too? Learn from Vietnam don't you.
Both countried lead by Dictators and they have the same idea . Use their power to intimidate people who don't agree with them.
Oh please! Why dirt poor Cambodia hold to such a higher standard than the rest of the world?
Dirt poor Cambodia do harm to the world for having diplomatic relation with Iran. What about those countries that have diplomatic relation with Iran?
3:40PM ! you talk about China and Russia? Even them have to choose careful world about Iran nuck problem!
Does anybody know what ah chhkuot 11:58AM is talking about? .That idiot bastard is really swim against the current.He's so anti the West and America in particular.For some reason, he could be a terrorist .
He was and is anti-west countries for the whole of his life but need Dollars from west for his life and 2. wife living in france in a big Villa. Why? because the real Khmers are idiot allowing such people lead the ounrn country.
10:14 PM,
let him (11:58AM) what he wanted. The Khmer killing fileds (2 Mios.) caused by those but for them is not enough they want create more because the real Khmer people are very stupid forting the history very quickly. As long as Khmer do like this Youn take Khmer land in 20 years in the future. That is the problem of Khmer
That's because Hor Nam Hong is a vietnamese living in Cambodia. He is also working for Hanoi who is a friend of the Russia and the former Soviet Union. Those two states are very ignorant. They don't see many Europe states and the American saw in Iran. They are just blind and evils in nature. Cambodia is heading to the same direction. Cambodian people need to be awared of this man. When the time comes just push him off the clip and be done with it.
Europe and America want Iran to be better than it is today and to be normalized like most people are in this planet. Iran and Russia want to control the world with the nuke. Do you want to live normaly? or die from a nuclear blast? You ask Japan and they will gladly tell you what it was like to be shower by an atomic bomb. You need to know what to do to save your self and open your eyes up!
I don't know why CPP government wants to be friend with Iran
BUT there is no future to fight against USA or to be friend with USA either.
USA is very good with and for Khmer-Ameriacans but it's not good for Cambodians because Cambodia and Cambodians have no value for Americans.
10:57pm. That because most of us are dumb. Ask your brother and sister in America or Thai people, they will tell you the different.
Many countries that are best allied to America and Europe are happy- free and prosperous countries. Russia and Iran are suck. Poor and miserable. Their people have little right to do thing or live their life. Worse they can get away from it, because those who ruled their countries are dictators. They will kill you, if you try to leave or getting away from them. Iran today is very close to the living Pol Pot's regime. Shame on those of you who don't know the pain that Iranian people having to suffer day in and day out.
Khmer leadership are dumb and dumber that's why don't pay attention and help their own race. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! Get rid of them if you think your dictator leadership like Hun Sen is BAD. Kill him now before he kill you.
Hun Sen never got a driver license,he told Hor Namhong driving to enter the wrong way.The leader is stupid,so under worker is dumb too.The 2/3 countries of the world hate Iran ;Hun Sen is dumb,deaf,and blind, still make friend with this kind of country. The dictator always gets along with the dictator.
Blaime it on Vietnam and Russia and the biggest nastiest worm head China. They are all Communist states or just coming out from the Communist state. They see nothing wrong what so ever with Iran. They are all freedom hater and they 're the controlling freak. If China doesn't stand by Iran or seeing what the rest of the world see, Iran wouldn't be the place she is today. It would be freed happy and running by normal people like the former royal family Prince Riza Palavi and a better PM. Today Iranian people have to put up with a sucker that has crocked eyes. He paints the ugliest Iran.
and ah stupid hor nam hong is falling for it. He's a waste of space on this earth.
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