PHNOM PENH, July 24 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday donated electronic and information technology (IT) equipment worth 75,500 U.S. dollars to the newly-established National Institute of Diplomacy and International Relations (NIDIR) of the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Xiong Bo delivered the equipment to Foreign Ministry under-secretary of state and NIDIR's president Chhiv Yiseang here under the presence of Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn.
Xiong said China is very delighted to see that Cambodia is playing a greater role in regional and international affairs and is carrying out its diplomacy very well.
"It is our firm belief that with the establishment of NIDIR, it will nurture more competent and excellent diplomats for Cambodia and will make a positive and greater contribution to the development of Cambodia's diplomatic course," he said.
The ambassador said China is ready to enhance exchanges and cooperation between the two foreign ministries and the two foreign affairs institutes of the two countries.
As 2018 marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Xiong said the two countries had organized a number of celebratory events in both Phnom Penh and Beijing and those events had been attended by respective leaders of the two countries and had drawn attention worldwide.
"I think in the next 60 years, the mutual political trust between our two leaders, the mutual beneficial cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative between our two countries, and the friendship between our two peoples will be further consolidated and deepened," he said.
"It is our firm belief that Cambodia will maintain its peace, stability, and development, and it will surely embrace a brighter future," the ambassador said.
Launched in Feb. 2018, the NIDIR is the first diplomatic training institute in Cambodia, Yiseang said, adding that China's support was vital to further strengthen NIDIR's startup operation capacity.
"This support responds timely to the NIDIR's needs," he said. "It will allow NIDIR to keep up with the increasingly digitalized knowledge database, in particular to further strengthen NIDIR's operation capacity to accomplish its noble mission of building professionalism of the 21st century Cambodian diplomats in the era of ICT, digital economy, or diplomacy."
He said the donation is a testimony to prove that China has always provided unwavering support to Cambodia in the socio-economic development, especially in human resource training and infrastructure development.
