Phnom penh: The Director General of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has reaffirmed that ongoing mine clearance efforts are a critical foundation for achieving sustainable peace, reducing poverty, and improving the livelihoods of the Cambodian people.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, Mr. HIDEHARU Tachibana, JICA Director General, made the statement on November 19 during a working visit to the headquarters of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) in Phnom Penh. He was welcomed by H.E. Heng Ratana, Director General of CMAC, as part of a mission from Tokyo aimed at gaining a comprehensive understanding of Cambodia’s mine action sector, particularly CMAC’s clearance and explosive remnants of war (ERW) operations, which are significantly supported by Japan’s grant aid projects.

H.E. Heng Ratana offered profound gratitude to JICA for its long-standing partnership in strengthening Cambodia’s infrastructure, promoting economic growth, and developing human resources, with a specific emphasis on the mine action field. He expressed hope that Japan’s contribution would continue to provide global and long-term value through international training programmes in mine action, the sharing of operational experience at the Mine Action Technical Institute, and the presentation of peace-related knowledge at the Peace Museum.

In response, Mr. Tachibana commended CMAC as a leading institution in global mine clearance, praising its commitment to removing mines and ERW to save lives and return safe land for socio-economic development. He reaffirmed JICA’s continued and full support for CMAC, highlighting plans to advance cooperation in mine clearance technology, introduce new innovations, and strengthen regional experience-sharing and training.

The JICA delegation’s mission included visits to key facilities across the country: The Techo Peace Museum in Siem Reap; Mine clearance operations in Samlot district, Battambang province; The Techo Heritage Development Centre; The CMAC Technical Institute in Kampong Chhnang province. Mr. Tachibana expressed strong interest in CMAC’s post-clearance agricultural development programmes, which he described as an essential pillar for building sustainable peace, reducing poverty, and improving the quality of life for Cambodian communities.