PHNOM PENH: Cambodia will mark the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Agreement on Saturday. It was signed on 23 October 1991 and declared an official end to the war between Cambodia and Vietnam. A day ahead of the anniversary, a high-level round-table discussion was held to discuss the significance of the Paris Peace Agreement, 30 years on.

Formally titled as the Comprehensive Cambodian Peace Agreements, they led to the deployment of the first post-cold war peacekeeping mission of the United Nations. It was the first ever occasion in which the UN took over as the de-facto government of a state.

On Friday, a round-table discussion was held at the Royal Academy of Cambodia to mark the 30th anniversary of the Paris Peace Agreement. President of the Royal Academy, Sok Touch, says the Agreement has historical value but no ratification. He stresses that it has been obsolete since 1993. Touch says the agreement made Cambodians on all sides of the political divide return to the country, helping create an inclusive and empowered government. He remembers the handshake between then-Prince Norodom Sihanouk with Prime Minister Hun Sen, describing it as a historic moment in Cambodia.

The president of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, Kin Phea, has also said that they recognise the value of the Paris Peace Agreement. He has emphasised that the agreement is fundamental but people cannot dismiss the base. He was referring to the political will of the leaders as the base, as he said without it, there can be no peace and stability such as Cambodia enjoys today.

The Paris Peace Agreement was signed by 19 countries. Some of the most fundamental things it brought to Cambodia were sovereignty, territorial integrity, neutrality and national unity.