Canada will upgrade its current Office in Phnom Penh to a full embassy with a resident Ambassador, in line with Prime Minister Trudeau’s recent announcement at the 2024 ASEAN Leader’s Summit in Vientiane.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the good news was made known through a diplomatic note handed over by David Verbiwski, Chargé d’Affairs of the Office of the Embassy of Canada in Phnom Penh, to Chum Sounry, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, during their meeting here on Dec. 20.
The Secretary of State and Chargé d’Affaires expressed satisfaction with the development of bilateral ties and discussed some activities to be carried out in the future to promote bilateral cooperation, especially the upcoming visit of Canada’s trade delegation to Cambodia to explore ways and means of trade promotion.
On the occasion, Katherine North, Senior Project Manager of Global Affairs Canada’s Anti-Crime Capacity Building Programme, who was in Cambodia to discuss Canada’s support to Cambodia in the framework of Canada’s anti-crime capacity building programme in the Indo-Pacific region, briefed ChumSounry on Canada’s support for Cambodia through capacity-building initiatives in combating money laundering, human trafficking, and drug trafficking, and pledged continued support under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, including training for Cambodian officials in cybercrime and anti-money laundering.
Cambodia reaffirmed its commitment to combating human trafficking, acknowledging the issue while stressing that it is not as severe as reported in some media outlets. The Cambodian government has a strong political commitment to tackling cybercrime, especially online scams, and has engaged in regional and international efforts to combat this modern form of transnational crime.
On anti-money laundering, Chum Sounry underscored Cambodia’s significant progress since 2020 after enacting stringent laws and regulations, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ‘Grey List’ in early 2023. Recent efforts to block illicit cryptocurrency exchanges and online gambling websites further highlight Cambodia’s determination to prevent illegal activities in these areas, he stressed.AKP
