• Politics

Hun Sen Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

• By Teng Yalirozy
• December 19, 2022 12:28 PM

PHNOM PENH – Prime Minister Hun Sen has won the Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific (KSI) World Leader Lifetime Achievement Award for his almost four decades ruling Cambodia.

The award ceremony took place at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh on Dec. 19 with the presence of KSI president Tan Sri Michael Yeoh.

The institute regularly grants leadership awards to national, business and civil society leaders for their achievements.

The Malaysian-based Institute awarded the "Lifetime Achievement of Outstanding Leaders" to Hun Sen after studying and evaluating in detail his leadership qualities and achievements.

Yeoh said that during more than 37 years of his tenure, Hun Sen had seen economic growth and the reform of Cambodia’s infrastructure.

“KSI is honored to present the award to Prime Minister Hun Sen,” he said during the ceremony.

Hun Sen said receiving this award reflected the effective implementation of the Win-Win policy, the driving force for the country to achieve an average of seven percent in annual growth.

Cambodia had become a low​ middle-income country in 2015​ and aimed to achieve upper middle-income country status in 2030 and become a high-income country in 2050.

Since becoming a member of ASEAN in 1999, Cambodia had been actively involved in regional and world affairs to strengthen multilateral cooperation for stability, security and development of the world and region, he said,

Hun Sen pointed out that Cambodia chaired the 41st and 42nd ASEAN Summit amid regional and world chaos, such as war, the COVID-19 pandemic, the food and energy security crisis and the world economic crisis.

He said maintaining ASEAN Global Prestige cannot be done without the engagement from the ASEAN dialogue partners and, particularly, China, which he said is acknowledged as the second economic power in the world.

“ASEAN-China must work together to promote regional cooperation in an open, transparent and inclusive manner and mutual interest,” he said.

Cambodia would continue to strive for national development and maintain its achievements over the past 40 years.

“I hope the next generation will continue a unity spirit to maintain security and promote national and regional development,” Hun Sen said.

KSI is a non-profit organization and a link between government, business and civil society to turn initiatives into influential outcomes. The main goal of the Institute is to build better countries across the Asia-Pacific region.

It has been the leading organizer of an influential and innovative conference and forum with the participation of more than 3,000 policymakers, business leaders and NGO leaders since 2018.

KSI is currently the secretariat for the prestigious Economic Club of Kuala Lumpur, ASEAN Economic Club, and Dialog Rakyat.