Kingdom, Czech Rep fortify mine, energy development cooperation
Kingdom, Czech Rep fortify mine, energy development cooperation
Cambodia and the Czech Republic are working to strengthen bilateral cooperation on mine and energy development, Ministry of Mines and Energy official Yos Monirath said on Sunday.On Friday, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on “Mineral Resources Cooperation in the Field of Geological Research and Technical Assistance”.
This will pave the way for Czech businessmen to invest in Cambodia, said Monirath, who is the director-general of the ministry’s General Department of Mineral Resources.
The MoU was signed between the department and the Mineral Policy Department under the Czech Republic’s Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Monirath told The Post on Sunday that the MoU paves the way for Cambodia-Czech cooperation in mineral resources ahead of further potential agreements.
He said the Czech Republic is a developed country with many experts and companies investing abroad. Cambodia seeks some of that investment, he said.
“Through the MoU, we hope to attract Czech investors to Cambodia, especially in the mineral resources sector,” said Monirath, adding that the Kingdom previously signed similar MoUs with Japan and China, and expects to sign another with Russia.
Key points of the MoU include – officials’ capacity building, raw material development, green mineral business and green mineral resource utilisation.
It also involves technical assistance in environmental impact assessments for mining businesses, technical assistance in mineral resource potential assessment and geological studies, and mineral resources development.
Cambodia has not undertaken an in-depth study of its mineral resources, Monirath said, but using neighbouring countries as a reference, the Kingdom expects to have as many mineral resources as they do.
Prime Minister Hun Sen is scheduled to lead a high-level delegation to the Czech Republic from October 13 to 14.
