Phnom Penh, 18 July 2024: Prime Minister Hun Manet of the Kingdom of Cambodia reiterated the critical importance of peace for national development.

“When we were at war, there were deaths, loss of our land, prestige, and dignity... no tourists, no development. These are the legacies of war. But with peace and unity, we have development, our economy is growing, we have ended our land loss, and our cultural heritage has been preserved,” he said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Samdech Preah Brahma Rattanamony Pin Sem Museum at Raja Bo Pagoda in Siem Reap provincial city this morning.

“This is the concrete evidence to prove the significance of peace,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

With peace, many pieces of national heritage looted during the civil war have been repatriated. The Prime Minister highlighted that since 1999, a total of 1,098 pieces of Khmer artifacts have been returned from 15 foreign countries, including Thailand, the U.S., and the United Kingdom.

Hun Manet affirmed that thanks to peace, the Royal Government will continue its commitment to further development for the benefit of its citizens.