DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “The Foreign Ministry Clarifies Sonando Case” plus 3 more

WELLINGTON, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand has been admitted as a member of the Asian sub-group of the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP), the government announced Friday.

John Hayes, Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who represented New Zealand at the meeting this week in Vientiane, Laos, thanked Laos and Cambodia for supporting New Zealand's bid for membership.

"Before New Zealand joined in 2010, it was the only East Asia Summit country outside of ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting)," Hayes said in a statement.

"We have been conscious of the steps we needed to take if our country was to be more effective in its dealings with Europe and the nations of Asia," Hayes said.

"Successive New Zealand governments have actively forged closer links between the peoples of New Zealand, Europe and Asia as a vital investment in the future."

New Zealand's inclusion into the Asian group within ASEP was " our logical home" and consistent with New Zealand's increasing focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

ASEP is one of a series of ASEM events being hosted by Laos this year, which will culminate with the ninth ASEM Leaders Summit in November.

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- A conference on security sector governance and reform was held here on Thursday, with ASEAN member states discussing and sharing experiences in security sector with Cambodia, official said.

During the one-day event, foremost experts from Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines shared their experiences and best practices with Cambodian defense officials on security sector governance and reform, Norodom Sirivudh, founder and chairman of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said.

"The conference would contribute to further strengthening security sector governance and reform, which is a great step towards strengthening sustainable peace, stability and development for Cambodian people," he said.

He said Cambodia's security sector governance and reform is a part of the ASEAN Political Security Community building process in 2015.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the conference, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Banh said that Cambodian people had gone through prolonged civil war and armed conflict for decades, so they really understand the value of peace and stability.

He said that for Cambodia, security sector governance including security sector reform, weapon disarmament, demilitarization, and rule of law integration is a key element for building and maintaining peace after the end of the war in 1998.

The conference was co-organized by the Ministry of Defense and the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace with the support of the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland.