World
17:31, 29-Dec-2018
Cambodia commemorates 20th anniversary of ending civil war
Updated
16:36, 01-Jan-2019
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Cambodia on Saturday commemorated the 20th anniversary of the end of the civil war, vowing to use all necessary means to continue protecting the country's hard-earned peace.
Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen presided over the celebration, which was attended by some 30,000 people. Among those present at the event were senior officials, soldiers, police officers, civil servants and residents.
Foreign diplomats to Cambodia as well as defense delegations from China, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos were also invited for the event.
Speaking at the event, Hun Sen said the end of the decades-old civil war on Dec. 29, 1998 had provided "gold and diamond" opportunities for Cambodia to rebuild its national economy and society and to reduce poverty.
"Without war, a large number of foreign investors and tourists has come to Cambodia. Now, Cambodia's trade volume rose to 25 billion U.S. dollars (in 2018), with the country's export valuing at 12 billion U.S. dollars. We started from zero tourist to now nearly six million tourists," he said.
According to the prime minister, the country's GDP per capita reached 1,607 U.S. dollars in 2018, remarkably up from only 200 U.S. dollars in 1998.
"This is a great success for the people of Cambodia, and we aim to become an upper-middle income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050," Hun Sen said.
"To achieve these ambitious targets, peace must be protected at any cost," the 67-year-old prime minister said.
During the celebration, a Win-Win Monument, which had been constructed to honor Hun Sen's "Win-Win Policy," was inaugurated.
Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh said the 54-meter-tall monument served as a reminder of the sacrifices made to end the war and symbolized peace that had resulted from the prime minister's "Win-Win Policy."
Construction of the 12-million-U.S.-dollar monument begun in Feb. 2016, and it stands on an area of eight hectares of land featuring tree-lined gardens in Chroy Changvar district in Phnom Penh.
The celebration will be held for three days during which people can enjoy exhibitions, concerts, and sports competition, as well as fireworks at nights, the minister said.
(With inputs from agencies.)