Kep: After years of clearing the kingdom’s provinces of the remnants of war, the Royal Government is working hard to declare Kep the country’s first mine-free province. This was discussed during Tuesday’s meeting between the Cambodia Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority and the Hungarian Embassy. It’s been helping Cambodia with its “mine-free village” pilot project.

The mine-free village pilot project is underway in Damnak Chang-er village in Kep’s Prey Thom commune. With this project, the Hungarian government, through its embassy in Cambodia, is providing humanitarian assistance equivalent to $28,570.

First Vice President of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, Ly Thuch, has expressed gratitude to the government and people of Hungary in supporting mine clearance operations in the country. On Tuesday, Thuch asked Hungary’s Chargé d’Affaires, Istvan Bakos, to continue the country’s support for the mine-free village project in two other villages in Kep province. These are Chamkar Bei and Chamkar Chek. When these two are cleared of mines, Kep will be declared as the first ever mine-free province in Cambodia. The government says there are a total of 10 minefields in Kep, and the province will be declared mine-free just as soon as these are cleared.

Bakos has said that Hungary is happy to see the development of mine-clearance operations in the kingdom. He says he’ll visit Kep soon to see the results first-hand.