DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “UN,Cambodia jointly hold workshop on Sustainable Energy for All” plus 2 more

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Development Program and Cambodian Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy on Thursday jointly held a workshop on Sustainable Energy for All ( SE4All) in order to discuss the future of sustainable energy in Cambodia.

The workshop, opened by Suy Sem, Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy, and UN Resident Coordinator Douglas Broderick, was attended by 80 people from various ministries, development partners, non-governmental organizations and civil society.

Speaking at the event, Suy Sem said that energy sector was very vital to contribute to social and economic development.

He added that the government has set a specific goal to provide all villages with electricity of any type by the year 2020 and at least 70 percent of households will be able to access to grid quality electricity by 2030.

"To achieve this target, we need to increase investment in energy sector and promote the efficiency of energy," he said.

He said that currently, Cambodia has consumed the electricity of about 635 megawatts including 400 megawatts in Phnom Penh.

The main sources of the electricity are from diesel-fueled generators, hydropower dams and coal plants besides purchasing from its neighboring Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.

Douglas Broderick said the UN General Assembly declared 2012 the International Year of SE4All. As of Sept. 2012, 63 countries including Cambodia have joined the SE4All initiative.

He said that progress in energy access was very important to contribute to reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development.

CANBERRA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong said here Wednesday the comprehensive cooperative relationship between China and Australia had made fresh progress.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 40 years ago, China and Australia had realized intensified high-level contacts, fast-growing bilateral trade and vigorous people-to-people exchanges, Liu said at a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of China-Australia ties.

China and Australia, as important countries of influence in the Asia-Pacific region, shared comprehensive interests and shouldered joint responsibility in safeguarding regional stability and development, Liu said.

She urged China and Australia to join efforts in forging a new type of relationship of long-term stability and healthy development by respecting each other, carrying out all-around and high-level cooperation in trade and the economy and people-to-people exchanges, and strengthening communication and coordination on major global and regional issues.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who was also present at the ceremony, reviewed the development of Australia-China relationships since the establishment of diplomatic ties, saying the two countries' interests were deeply intertwined.

The Australian government saw China as a true and long-lasting friend, and was looking forward to boosting the comprehensive cooperative relationships of mutual benefits and win-win outcomes between Australia and China by further enhancing high-level exchanges and broadening the sphere of bilateral pragmatic cooperation, she said.

Liu arrived in Australia on Tuesday, the last leg of her four-nation tour. She had visited Russia, Cambodia and New Zealand.

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Wednesday expressed regret over the rocket launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), saying that the move could lead to more tension on the Korean Peninsula.

"The government of Cambodia regrets over the DPRK's rocket launch which has caused fears and could lead to escalating tension on the Korean Peninsula," spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Koy Kuong said. "The DPRK has been ignoring calls and concerns by other countries."

The DPRK successfully launched a satellite into orbit earlier Wednesday, the country's official KCNA news agency reported.

The DPRK, whose previous attempt in April ended in failure, was prohibited by the UN Security Council resolutions from launching long-range rocket with ballistic missile technology.

Wednesday's launch was made just two days after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, ASEAN Chair in 2012, appealed to DPRK to call off the launch plan.