DAVOS: At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a gathering of economists, experts, and state leaders, Prime Minister Hun Sen spoke against the sanctions imposed on other countries saying that it can only be a loss and lead to a more serious crisis. The Prime Minister made these remarks as the 2022 ASEAN Chair, while addressing the World Economic Forum’s "Strategic Outlook on ASEAN” session on Tuesday night (24 May).
Prime Minister Hun Sen has said that Cambodia is holding a hot stone while leading the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2022, due to many issues faced by the region, such as the ongoing Myanmar crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the conflict surrounding the South China Sea, that Cambodia must work to help resolve. However, the most serious problem, he stressed, is Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has affected the global economy, particularly in the rise of gasoline prices. Additionally, the Prime Minister forecasted that the world will soon face a food crisis in 2023 because of this war.
He urged the world to find a solution as soon as possible to avoid the crisis and any further problems in the future. He added that countries that are not directly involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict still face danger from "two directions": war and useless sanctions.
The Prime Minister said, "These sanctions should be discontinued; it does not provide any benefits. Even those who impose them, lose themselves; even if our country is poor, the country that is imposing sanctions on Russia, what do they get in return? Now I bring up an example, if Russia cuts off gas to Europe immediately, what will Europe use instead of gas? Will they cut down trees to cook? But Russia has not cut the gas supply to Europe. Now, even what was once exported to Russia, or which Russia used to export, all is at a loss. It is like closing a door, so when it closes, we cannot get out, they cannot enter. So, sanctions affect all of us, including those of us who are not involved, it creates problems."
On 24 February 2022, the Russian Federation launched an attack on Ukraine that Russia calls a "special military operation", not an invasion. However, on the night of 2 March, Cambodia joined 140 other countries to vote in favor of the UN General Assembly resolution which demanded that Russia "immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders."
Although Cambodia recognizes war as an act of aggression, Cambodia does not support the Western sanctions imposed on Russia, saying that only negotiations can find a solution to this war.
So far, the Russian-Ukrainian war has been going on for over three months.
