PHNOM PENH, Aug 2 (The Straits Times/ANN): Senior civil servant Tan Sokchea is an alumnus of a learning centre set up by Singapore, as are about 11,000 officials from Cambodia's ministries and agencies.
The director-general at the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, who was at the official opening of the Cambodia-Singapore Cooperation Centre (CSCC) in Phnom Penh on Tuesday (Aug 2), said he last attended a course there a few months ago.
He said of his three-week course to polish his English proficiency: "In the context of globalisation, language is the most important for communication. If you understand better, then it will improve the efficiency of your work as well. That is why this training is important."
This year marks 20 years of technical cooperation between the two countries - the CSCC is a 2018 upgrade on the Cambodia-Singapore Training Centre set up in 2002 and aims to boost economic integration and the adoption of technology through its training.
The centre, which conducts training courses for government officials in areas ranging from English language to public administration, will also bring together Singapore entities and global partners of Asean to carry out programmes to develop technical know-how in Cambodia's workforce.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said at the official opening event that CSCC has conducted 76 training courses since July 2018 covering topics such as the use of innovation to promote food security and safety and increasing digital adoption to enhance the resilience of public health systems.
Singapore has also set up similar centres in Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar under the Initiative for Asean Integration (IAI), which was launched in 2000.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn noted the sizeable number of Cambodian officials trained at the centre over the last 20 years. He added that to date, Singapore has spent more $170 million on the IAI.
"In the light of this, on behalf of the government of Cambodia, we would like to convey our deep gratitude to the government of Singapore for being the prime mover in narrowing the development gaps and deepening Asean integration," he said.
Dr Balakrishnan highlighted that the centres enable Singapore to support newer Asean members such as Cambodia as they grow.
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand formed Asean in 1967. Following this, Brunei joined in 1984, Vietnam in 1995, and Laos and Myanmar in 1997. Cambodia became the 10th member in 1999.
In his speech, Dr Balakrishnan noted that the officials who have attended courses at the centre are among more than 16,600 Cambodians who have participated in courses as part of the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) - the broader initiative that the IAI comes under.
Globally, more than 137,000 government officials from 180 countries have attended workshops or courses under the SCP, which was set up in 1992 to bring together Singapore's technical assistance efforts. The SCP marks its 30th anniversary this year.
Dr Balakrishnan is in Cambodia this week to attend the 55th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings.
The meetings will be the first time they are taking place in person after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. - The Straits Times/ANN
