On 25 July, 2024, at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia, Toul Kok Campus, the Cambodian Center for Regional Studies had the honor to host an Ambassadorial Lecture by H.E. Teo Lay Cheng, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to Cambodia to more than 60 Cambodian university students. This is a rare opportunity to learn first-hand the excellent relationship between Singapore and Cambodia.
The students have been pleased and learned a lot from the insightful presentation by the distinguished guest speaker. H.E. Teo Lay Cheng is an energetic Ambassador of Singapore to Cambodia and very active in promoting and enhancing bilateral relations between Singapore and Cambodia, including trade, investment, capacity building and people to people exchange to advance a closer bond of friendship between the two countries.
The essence of her presentation included the highlights of PM Hun Manet’s High-level visit to Singapore from 18 to 19 June 2024 at the invitation of PM Lawrence Wong. The official visit represents next generation of excellent friendship between the two new and younger Prime Ministers of Cambodia and Singapore as they reaffirmed the warm and longstanding ties between the two countries since Singapore gained independence in 1965.
H.E. Teo Lay Cheng also informed the participants the expanding economic ties between Singapore and Cambodia, the willingness from both sides to deepen cooperation in new and emerging fields such as renewable energy and carbon credits which the good progress has been made since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Carbon Credits Cooperation, and the promotion of the Lao PDR-Cambodia-Singapore Working Group on Cross-Border Electricity Trading to drive the development of projects which drive the ASEAN Power Grid. She also emphasized Singapore’s firm support for Cambodia’s human resource development and capacity building.
H.E. Ambassador Teo Lay Cheng put up a stimulating and interactive discussions with three impromptus quizzes – (1) What is the name of the hybrid orchid named after PM Hun Manet? (2) What are name other Singapore brands that exist in Cambodia? (3) Who are the Cambodian recipients of the LKYEF and S R Nathan Fellowships? She openly engaged in the Q and A session, answering sharply to all the questions addressed to her by the students.
Key takeaways from our distinguished speaker hinge on the principle of good governance that make Singapore’s today as a most prosperous country in the region and that Cambodia has choices to choose for the right model of development that fit Cambodia’s needs, capitalizing on the country’s strategic location, visionary leadership, and the human resource capacity that nurtured by world class educational system.
