Phnom Penh: Prime Minister Hun Manet has expressed his desire for Cambodia to achieve energy independence. The Royal Government of Cambodia plans to collaborate with Thailand to extract oil from overlapping maritime areas in the Gulf of Thailand.

During the closing ceremony of the Ministry of Labor's 2023 annual meeting on Thursday, February 8, 2024, the Prime Minister emphasized his vision for Cambodia to become self-sufficient by reducing its reliance on external sources, particularly in the energy sector.

"The goal of jointly extracting energy is to enable Cambodia and Thailand to become self-sustaining in the future," he stated.

He highlighted that this collaborative effort between Cambodia and Thailand has been delayed for 20 years. He assured that the government will take steps to ensure Cambodia does not lose interest in the project.