Kamikawa Pledges Support for Land Mine Clearance: Supports Establishment of International Team to Remove Mines in Cambodia

By Shinsuke Uemura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:53 JST, July 7, 2024

PHNOM PENH — Japan will work with Cambodia to support land mine countermeasures in third countries, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said in a speech in Phnom Penh on Saturday.

Japan also will support the establishment of an international cooperation team to be engaged in the removal of land mines in Cambodia, Kamikawa said. She also announced that Japan will provide Ukraine, for the first time, with large demining machines.

Kamikawa delivered the speech at the Cambodian Mine Action Center.

“Cambodia is now one of the world leaders in humanitarian mine action, having made steady progress in clearing mines in its own territory,” Kamikawa said. “We will position Cambodia as a hub for international cooperation on humanitarian mine action and aim to achieve zero mine victims in the world.”

She also said that Japan will promote technological innovation in land mine countermeasures in cooperation with the private sector.

The government this week plans to provide demining equipment to Ukraine, which is plagued by land mines laid by Russia, and conduct training in Cambodia to teach Ukrainians how to operate the equipment.

After the speech, Kamikawa met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sok Chenda Sophea. During the talks, they agreed on Japan’s new support measures, the main pillars of which are the development of social infrastructure and marine transportation in Cambodia. In addition to the development of water supply and sewage systems and the improvement of cyber countermeasures, Japan also will support Cambodia with the formulation of plans for the opening of shipping routes to North America and Europe as well as digitizing customs procedures.

Cambodia is highly dependent on China in terms of its economy, and Japan hopes to strengthen relations through the support.