PHNOM PENH: The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Kritenbrink, held a press conference on Wednesday morning, 13 July, at AmCam Exchange, on the occasion of his current visit to Cambodia from 11-15 July.
During the press conference, Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink reaffirmed America’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific region and to its relationship with Cambodia, further conveying support for Cambodia’s success as the 2022 ASEAN Chair.
Providing an overview of what he has done so far since arriving in Cambodia on Monday, 11 July, the Assistant Secretary said he completed a series of constructive meetings with a range of senior Cambodian officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, DPM Prak Sokhonn, and the Minister of Interior, DPM Sar Kheng.
He underscored that the U.S. is a long-time friend of Cambodia and remains committed to its relationship with Cambodia, and improving the lives of all Cambodians. He highlighted that the U.S. has provided more than US $3 billion in assistance to support Cambodia’s development and has helped fuel employment and prosperity across the Kingdom by being the country’s largest export market. He also mentioned how the U.S. has aided Cambodia in the fight against Covid-19 by donating three million vaccine doses, with more vaccines set to arrive later this year, and a total of more than US $16 million in supplemental Covid-19 assistance.
He expressed his appreciation for the efforts of DPM Prak Sokhonn as the ASEAN Special Envoy on Myanmar, and further stated that the U.S. urges Myanmar to cooperate in swiftly implementing the ASEAN Five Point Consensus.
On the subject of democracy, he reiterated that the U.S. remains troubled and urges adherence to international commitments to respect freedom of expression.
“We remain troubled by continued restrictions on civic space and fundamental freedoms as well as the charging of political opposition leaders and other civil society and human rights advocates," said Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink. "Those actions undermine multiparty democracy and the rule of law. We urge adherence to international obligations and commitments to protect and respect the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly and reopen civic and political space at the 2023 national elections.”
The Assistant Secretary also touched upon the hot-button issue of the Ream Naval Base, which the U.S. maintains it sees as a point of concern and possible threat to Cambodia’s autonomy and regional security, if an exclusive People’s Republic of China (PRC) military presence at the base is allowed. He urged for full transparency on the intent, nature and scope of the project regarding the base, as well as on what role the PRC military is playing in its construction.
Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink concluded his remarks by stating his plan to return to Cambodia in August for the ASEAN related meetings, and once more stressed the commitment of the U.S. to the success of ASEAN and the success of Cambodia as the ASEAN Chair.
