Cambodia and Indonesia have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fields of water resources and meteorology following yesterday’s high-level meeting between Cambodian Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology Thor Chetha, and Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia Santo Darmosumarto.
The meeting, which took place at the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, focussed on key priorities and strategic initiatives outlined by the Cambodian government under the Pentagonal Strategy-Phase 1, led by Prime Minister Hun Manet.
Chetha briefed the Indonesian delegation on Cambodia’s ongoing efforts to enhance water resource management, upgrade irrigation infrastructure, and modernise meteorological and hydrological forecasting systems.
The minister highlighted the core objectives of the ministry, namely the sustainable management of water resources, the development of early warning systems, the strengthening of legal frameworks for water governance, institutional capacity building, public awareness campaigns on water use and management, and enhanced cooperation with both national and international development partners.
In response, Ambassador Darmosumarto expressed Indonesia’s strong commitment to deepening collaboration with Cambodia. He emphasised the potential for further bilateral cooperation through the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on water resource and meteorological management.
This would facilitate knowledge exchange, technological advancements, and best practices in integrated water resource management (IWRM), disaster risk reduction, and community-based initiatives.
The two officials also explored ways to enhance technical cooperation and capacity building, particularly in climate resilience, flood prevention, and drought mitigation. Both sides underscored the importance of regional partnerships in addressing shared environmental challenges and promoting sustainable water management strategies.
The meeting concluded with a mutual agreement to advance discussions on future joint initiatives, reinforcing the long-standing friendship and cooperation between Cambodia and Indonesia in the water and meteorology sectors.
Not long after arriving in Cambodia in September last year, Ambassador Darmosumarto, told Khmer Times in the first-ever media interview in the Kingdom that he has the ambitious goal of transforming Cambodia-Indonesian bilateral relations into one of the closest in the region through game-changing initiatives in multiple areas.
After nearly a year of serving in the Kingdom, Ambassador Darmosumarto believes that his country and Cambodia are on a fast track to building one of the strongest alliances in the region.
“If I am to rate progress out of 10, I would like to think that we have 7 or 8,” the ambassador said in a recent exclusive interview.
“It is important for us to meet various segments of society here in Cambodia, so I have met with government officials at the senior level as well as the technical level.”
In 1956, Indonesia recognised Cambodia as a sovereign nation, and the following year, both nations established diplomatic relations in 1959.
Comentarios