(30 Apr 1999) English/Nat
Cambodia has been formally admitted to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after decades outside the economic group.
It is the last country in the region to become a member of the association.
ASEAN membership will give Cambodia access to a tariff-free market of nearly 500 (m) million customers.
The move is being regarded as a personal triumph for Prime Minister Hun Sen whose ousting of the co-Prime Minister nearly two years ago stalled Cambodia's admission to the group.
At a ceremony in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Friday, Cambodia finally got the economic boost it needs after decades of political instability.
South East Asian foreign ministers flew in for the day to sign documents making Cambodia the 10th member of 32-year-old ASEAN.
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"ASEAN will bring us more investment, more commercial exchange, ASEAN as a whole will be a very big market for Cambodian products."
SUPER CAPTION: Hor Nam Hong, Cambodian Foreign Minister
Admission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is likely to increase investor confidence in Cambodia as a massive tarrif-free market opens up.
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"Two weeks ago for the first time I had two discussions with two different investors coming from ASEAN countries, but who realised that to produce the same thing that they used to produce in ASEAN country it will be much more profitable for them to produce here and export to ASEAN market and other markets."
SUPER CAPTION: Sok Chenda Sophea, Council for Development of Cambodia
But there is a downside.
It will have to lower trade tariffs, and that will expose Cambodia's domestic industries to the strain of foreign competition.
Recently Cambodia has been balancing the need to prosecute surviving Khmer Rouge leaders against the threat of renewed civil war.
The Khmer Rouge has been breaking up in recent years and the Cambodian government has taken control of all its territory for the first time in 30 years.
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"We suffer from a very bad image, so some people might think that Cambodia is a mine country, a Khmer Rouge country, a war torn country. It was true in the past, and I believe the government and ourselves should work hard to delete that image and let people know that since the last election and since the formation of the new government, end of November 98, there is a real political stability,"
SUPER CAPTION: Sok Chenda Sophea, Council for Development of Cambodia
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"But from now on we have political stability, we have total peace in Cambodia, we have started to develop our economy so I think on the contrary, it is time for Cambodia to join ASEAN."
SUPER CAPTION: Hor Nam Hong, Cambodian Foreign Minister
ASEAN initially agreed to admit Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar in July 1997, but delayed Cambodia's admission after a violent coup in which Prime Minister Hun Sen ousted his co-Prime Minister Norodom Ranariddh.
But a new coalition government was formed last November, paving the way for Cambodia to finally join.
However, the admission ceremony was delayed while the fledgling government got established.
Vietnam, which had championed Cambodia's push to join ASEAN, expressed confidence that membership will help its long-troubled neighbour consolidate peace and stability while building a prosperous nation.
Cambodia's admission on Friday came on the 24th anniversary of North Vietnam's victory over U-S backed South Vietnam and the unification of Vietnam under a communist government.
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SOUNDBITE: (English)
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