Posted date: June 7, 2022
During the Roundtable Discussion on 6th June 2022 on the “War in Ukraine: Cambodia and ASEAN’s Role in Promoting Peaceful Resolutions” jointly organized by the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace and the Australian Embassy in Cambodia, Amb. Pou Sothirak, Executive Director of CICP, shared his views as follows:
- The war in Ukraine has visible ramifications, affecting ASEAN relevance. The sharp increase of the cost of transport, electricity and fuel are seen throughout SE Asia countries, affecting the post Covid-19 recovery and without an alternate source for energy security to compensate for the cheaper oil price from Russia, risk of political and economic instability will be at stake.
- Cambodia favors restraint, dialogue and calls for a ceasefire as the way to defuse tension. Cambodia was among the 90 co-sponsors of the UN Resolution entitled Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine and among the 140 countries voting in favor of the UN Resolution out of 190 countries.
- This position is highlighted in the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Statement on the Ukrainian crisis released on 26 February and the Statement on 3rd March, calling for an immediate ceasefire or armistice and continuation of political dialogues that would lead to sustainable peace in Ukraine.
