KAMPONG CHAM: Prime Minister Hun Sen has said that peace and development must go hand in hand, and maintaining peace without development progress could lead to the government's failure.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion and upgrade of National Road No. 7 from the Skun roundabout to the Kizuna Bridge roundabout in Kampong Cham province on Monday morning, 9 January, Prime Minister Hun Sen said, "If there is to be development, peace must be maintained, If we want to keep the peace, we need development."

He added that if there is only peace but people are left living in poverty, the people will stop giving their support to the government, which could lead to the start of an uprising.

"This is what the government needs to consider: peace and development must go hand in hand," he said.

According to the Prime Minister, maintaining current stability is what the government has to do to keep the peace and ensure development, which will in turn further strengthen peace in the country.