The year 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Cambodia, as well as the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the JICA Cambodia Office. I feel honored to be appointed as the chief representative of the JICA Cambodia Office on such an important milestone.
We are proud that we have contributed to building strong friendships with the people of Cambodia through various cooperation projects. Among those, water supply projects called the "Miracle of Phnom Penh", two river-crossings depicted on banknotes, and more than 20-year-long support for civil laws are now known around the world. Today, we continue to develop many projects in a wide range of fields, including agriculture, health, education, environment, rural development, and so on.
We believe that many of our business opportunities are the result of relationships of trust that have been nurtured over the decades. We will continue to act with the people of Cambodia, not only to pursue the results of our projects, but also to think about the future together with them in the process of our project implementation.
The world is currently facing a compound crisis involving pandemics, conflicts, and climate change, and Cambodia has been significantly affected by these crises. This difficult situation has made us more aware of domestic challenges such as the lack of public services and disparities that have existed since before. At the same time, in a world where the future is difficult to predict, we have been forced to deal with global issues such as securing stable supplies of natural resources and energy and restructuring supply chains.
In addition to conventional efforts to meet these challenges, it is necessary to create unprecedented solutions using new ideas and technologies. Additionally, creating an environment in which the public and private sectors can cooperate, further leverage their respective strengths. To this end, we will also need a place where everyone can obtain information and understand the situation correctly.
We at JICA will work to create an environment in which people with ideas and solutions can participate by opening relevant information as well as business opportunities to the public. By acting as an information hub and sparking activities from multiple perspectives, we will aim to have a greater impact than ever before and contribute to the creation of a sustainable and prosperous society.
I promise you that JICA will always be within your reach, walk with you, and will continue our efforts to deepen “Kizuna” between Japan and Cambodia.
SANUI Kazumasa
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