ASEAN's peace needs to be protected for regional sustainable development: Cambodian King-Xinhua

ASEAN's peace needs to be protected for regional sustainable development: Cambodian King

Source: Xinhua| 2022-11-21 16:00:30|Editor: huaxia

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni said in a royal message on Monday that peace in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) needs to be protected, stressing that it has created enormous socio-economic opportunities for the peoples.

In a message to the opening ceremony of the 43rd General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (43rd AIPA) here, the monarch said for ASEAN, the spirit of "Togetherness" has always been set as the backdrop of collective efforts to keep the region peaceful over decades.

"Undergirded by a strong intra-regional and inter-regional cooperation framework, the peace that ASEAN so cherished has created enormous socio-economic opportunities for our people," Sihamoni said. "We have lifted millions of them out of poverty."

He said peace has generated concrete employment opportunities for people and enhanced their future job prospects.

"We are blessed to be in a thriving region that continues to attract foreign investment, trade, and tourism to create more wealth and prosperity for our people," he said. "Peace needs to be protected and constantly nurtured."

Sihamoni said peace could be undermined at any moment by various traditional challenges, from near and far, as well as from non-traditional threats that could rock the region's stability.

"Our ASEAN centrality will play a crucial role in promoting a rules-based international order for the greater benefit of our ASEAN people and beyond," he added.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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