Message From The King

I welcome the great leaders and their respected delegations to this historic 8th Asean Summit, which we are honored to host for the first time in Phnom Penh. This event brings Cambodia even closer into the family of our neighbors as we aim to contribute to the challenges Asean faces and gain from the opportunities it offers. Asean has become a strong regional force dedicated to raising the living standards of all our peoples while strengthening the bonds of peace and harmony in the region.

I am reminded of another historic meeting in Bandung in 1955, of which I am the last surviving participant. There, in the company of Chou En-lai, Sukarno and Nehru, we forged an alliance of non-aligned nations to have a voice in the world, which at the time was dominated only by the wealthier, former colonial powers. After Bandung, we had a voice. This is a different summit, as our goals are not political. I foresee that the Phnom Penh Asean Summit will take all of us forward toward the next step in establishing a stronger regional association to meet problems that we cannot solve by ourselves.

Together, and with the cooperation of our dialogue partners, Asean can more effectively meet these challenges and attain a level of progress which can bring all of our peoples the standard of living that everyone in the world is entitled to possess. There is an impressive wealth of wisdom and experience that is being brought together here, by you, and I wish you success in your discussions and resolutions.

— King Norodom Sihanouk