KAMPONG SPEU: On the morning of Friday, 25 March, the First Deputy Chairman of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, Senior Minister Ly Thuch, presided over the closing ceremony of the Mine Action Information Technology Training Course at the National Center for the Management of Peacekeeping, Demining and Waste Management (NPMEC) in Oudong district, Kampong Speu province.

The training was organized by the NPMEC National Center in collaboration with a team of trainers from the Mine Authority and trainees from the NPMEC National Center, Ministry of Defense Engineering, Command Engineering, Army Engineering, Naval Command and Land Command.

The Senior Minister praised and appreciated the efforts and leadership of the Second Vice President of the Mine Authority and Director General of the NPMEC, General Sem Sovanny, and leaders at all levels who have accomplished historic achievements and brought dignity to the motherland on the international stage through their participation in maintaining peace in the region and the world within the framework of the United Nations, under the honorable leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The Senior Minister added that in order to bring peace to the motherland, Prime Minister Hun Sen made many sacrifices to end the war and to build up opportunities for Cambodians, especially for the next generation. He continued that demining work conducted after the end of the war was very important and helped contribute to the protection of peace and development of the country, but demining work requires high skills, high discipline, clear procedures and high efficiency. He stressed that any negligence or carelessness will endanger life.

The Senior Minister further thanked the Army for its active participation in demining since 1979, providing security for the people coming out of a period of genocide and death. The Army will begin participating as a demining / humanitarian demining force in collaboration with the Mine Authority to expedite demining efforts to achieve a mine-free Cambodia by 2025.

He added that demining work requires the participation of all stakeholders, both domestic and foreign, and that the Mine Authority has been planning and calling for more involvement from private sector development partners and philanthropists in implementing the demining village mechanisms.