The Negotiation Between Cambodia-Germany On Cooperation Development (May 05-06, 2021)

Phnom Penh: HE Te Navuth, Permanent Vice-Chairman of the Cambodia National Mekong Committee (CNMC) and Mr. Sok Khom, Director of Projects and Programs Department, attended the Negotiation between Cambodia-Germany on cooperation development via Video Conference.  The Negotiation was co-chaired by H.E. Chhieng Yanara, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister and Secretary General of the Cambodian Rehabilitation and Development Board of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CRDB/CDC) and H.E Norbert Barthle, Parliamentary State Secretary of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and a total 82 participants of Cambodian Senior and Technical Officers from relevant Ministries and institutions and the German side participated.

The Negotiation discussed on three main topics: 1) the general context of the development cooperation and political dialogue; 2) Dialogue on core areas of bilateral cooperation development; commitments; and 3) Other contributions available as part of German development.

The Negotiation was reported on Germany's support for implementation projects within the framework of the 1995 Mekong Cooperation Agreement and raised concern on hydropower development in the Mainstream and its tributaries caused floods and droughts and German Site congratulated of the Cambodia's decision to postpone the next 10 years development of the Sambo and Stung Treng hydropower and suggested to postpone the decision to develop hydropower on the Sesan and Srepok rivers.  CNMC informed that the MRC member countries have good cooperation in implementation of Basin Development Strategies and Strategic Plans under the 1995 Mekong Agreement, and each country has its own development plan and environmental protection plan for serving economic growth and environmental protection. The need and challenges of economic development are concerned on facing floods and droughts issue, as well as climate change.

The Negotiation identified a number of core areas in-lined with Germany's BMZ 2030 strategy, and Germany reaffirmed its new commitment to support projects related to social protection and health care, decentralization and energy efficiency and climate.

The next Negotiation between Cambodia and Germany on the development cooperation will be held in 2023.