The annual meeting of the Consultative Group to discuss economic assistance to Cambodia was held for the first time in Cambodia. The Royal Government of Cambodia obtained from the donors a pledging amount totaling 635million US dollars for the coming year, which was beyond the expectation of the Government. I would like to congratulate Samdech Hun Sen and his Government for the good result.

　　Some donors criticized the Government for the delay or slowness of certain areas of reforms, especially legal and judicial reform and anti-corruption measures. In the informal meetings prior to the CG, certain donor representatives expressed frustration and irritation on poor performance of the Cambodian Government. Nevertheless donors as a whole recognized that Cambodia is making efforts and going in the right direction. I take it that donors, though not totally happy, still wanted to cheer up Cambodia to accelerate their efforts. I strongly hope the Cambodian Government takes the message appropriately.

　　As I represented my government in the conference, I can say that so long as the government and the people of Cambodia continue to exert utmost efforts to carry out necessary reforms and strive for development, the Japanese Government will continue to support Cambodia. But frankly speaking, I share, to certain extent, the feeling of frustration of some donors regarding the slow pace of reforms. In my view, realizing good governance is perhaps the most important issue of today. We recognize real difficulties and we know the Cambodian leadership has been demonstrating strong determination, but I feel that if this strong determination at the top is implemented strictly to the lower echelon of the government structure, there will be a greater improvement.

　　Japan, as the largest donor, could pledge this year the same level of assistance as last year with 14 billion yen. I am personally satisfied with this result, because in Japan the overall ODA budget is reduced by 10% this fiscal year and it was not an easy task at all to maintain the same level for Cambodia, while other recipient developing countries must endure with a larger than 10% cut of Japan's assistance. Japanese public is now more vigilant on the use of our tax payers money abroad and more interested in what is going on in Cambodia. In this sense, a renewed effort for development and improvement in governance situation in this country will give a good image of Cambodia to the Japanese public.

　　In closing, let me say a few words on the often-voiced criticism that the foreign aid helps only the rich people. Well, Japan's basic aid objective is to promote the recipient country's social and economic welfare. Our aid policy also aims at poverty reduction. And we always scrupulously try to see to it that our aid projects achieve the primary purposes; otherwise we would be criticized by our tax payers. Thus Japan assists Cambodia to rehabilitate roads, bridges and other infrastructures which I think benefits the poor people also. We construct hospitals, like the National Tuberculosis Center, the Child and Maternal Hospital, where poor people are also received. Many of the water supply projects, electrification projects and rural development programs are often of pro-poor nature. Our Embassy finances many grass-root projects which are carried out by NGOs for the benefit of the poor people. Japanese volunteers and experts dispatched by our government conduct varied activities which also serve the poor people. In all of our assistance activities, our fund is utilized through our own established method and procedures so that it cannot be misused or taken by corruption. I am confident that Japan's assistance is benefiting the entire nation including the poor.

Do You Know about ICC (the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor )?

　　The International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC) is established in 1993 to coordinate international efforts to safeguard and rehabilitate Angkor monuments. After the Paris Peace Accords were concluded to restore peace in Cambodia, the Prince Sihanouk appealed to the international community on the urgent need to safeguard the Khmer people's great heritage of Angkor monuments. In response to it, the UNESCO designated these monuments as one of the World's Heritages and next year, an international conference was held in Tokyo to establish the ICC. It was decided then that Japanese and French ambassadors in Cambodia assumed the co-chairmanship of the committee.

　　The 9th annual conference of ICC was held in Siem Reap on July 2 and 3 under the chairmanship of Ambassador Libourel of France and myself. That was another reason for my busy weeks. France is known for its great contribution to the preservation of Angkor monuments for quite a long time. Japan has been also active in this endeavor. A Japanese team headed by Professor Ishizawa of Sophia University started its preservation activities in 1980. In 1994, the Japanese Government created its own team ( JSA: Japanese Government Team for Safeguarding Angkor ) with Professor Nakagawa as the leader in order to join in the international efforts to safeguard and rehabilitate these monuments.

　　This year's conference proved that efforts of the international community to rehabilitate Angkor monuments have spread and expanded and in my view the role of the ICC will become all the more important because coordination will become even more necessary and that, at the time when tourism development in Siem Reap area is going at a high speed, greater attention must be paid in order to avoid negative consequences on the preservation of the precious monuments in this area. The ICC will hold its 10th anniversary conference in Paris next year. More work is needed for the future.

　　I felt proud of the fact the both of the Japanese teams have been exerting considerable efforts to develop Cambodian human resources in their archaeological and rehabilitation activities through on-the-job trainings and studies in Japan. The sight visits during the ICC meeting demonstrated that young Khmer experts have been steadily showing their talents as engineering experts as well as sight leaders.

　　To illustrate this, I would like to tell you an anecdote: When my new official residence in Phnom Penh was about to be completed earlier this year, I made a special request to JSA to prepare Angkor style stone carvings to decorate part of the garden of my residence. The result was a wonderful set of beautiful stone tables and benches with superb carvings. It made me believe that the young Khmer sculptors have definitely inherited those talents of ancestors of ancient Angkor dynasty! I proudly show these carvings to the guests who come to our residence. It is a fruit of Japan Cambodian cooperation in the rehabilitation of Angkor monuments. A bravo for Cambodia.

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