Phnom Penh: The First Vice President of Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), Senior Minister Ly Thuch, met with the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of Hungary, Mr. Istvan Bakos, on Tuesday morning, to discuss mine clearance and the two nations also spoke highly of their historical relations and close cooperation.

Mr. Ly Thuch has expressed his gratitude to the Government and the people of Hungary for their humanitarian assistance of US$28,570 through the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to support mine clearance operations in the Kingdom. The grant has been used for a mine-free village pilot project in Damnak Chang-aeur village and Sangkat Prey Thom in Kep provincial city, and for a minefield verification project. In addition, he asked Hungary to continue its support for the mine-free village mechanism in two more villages Chamkar Bei and Chamkar Chek, to make Kep province the first ever mine-free province in Cambodia.

While Mr. Istvan Bakos has expressed his satisfaction with the mine-clearance cooperation, adding that he plans to visit Kep province to check the out-turn of mine clearance.