Today, Administrator Samantha Power was in Phnom Penh for the second day of her visit to Cambodia. She met with Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Peace Palace, where they discussed the U.S. and Cambodia's shared interest in fostering a deeper bilateral relationship. Noting that her visit marked the first time a USAID Administrator had traveled to Cambodia, Administrator Power recognized the significant progress achieved through collaboration between USAID and the Government of Cambodia in areas such as health, education, and environmental protection.
Administrator Power also recognized Cambodia's achievements on reducing deaths from tuberculosis and malaria. Administrator Power and Prime Minister Manet discussed the importance of the U.S. and Cambodia working together to address the online scam industry, demining and the removal of unexploded ordnance, global health security, reducing lead exposure for children, and other issues of mutual concern. Administrator Power underscored the strong U.S. support around the world and in Cambodia for workers' rights and civil society, as well as concerns about issues such as closing civic space and press freedoms.
Administrator Power met with Yeang Chheang, a medical entomologist who saved countless lives by distributing malaria medication during the deadly Khmer Rouge regime in the mid-1970s, and who subsequently helped rebuild Cambodia's National Malaria Program. She congratulated Mr. Chheang for receiving the "Unsung Hero" award at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai in December 2023 for his efforts to eliminate malaria and shared her appreciation for his valuable contributions to the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI). With U.S. government support through PMI, by 2025 Cambodia is on track to become the first PMI bilateral country to reach malaria elimination.
Administrator Power participated in meetings to hear from Cambodians about how the U.S. can best support progress on rights, governance, and rule of law. These meetings included engagements with civil society leaders, as well as other individuals with perspectives on these issues.
Administrator Power also visited the Mekong River, along with USAID partners, Cambodian government officials, researchers, students, conservationists, and fisherpeople. Traveling by boat down the Tonle Sap River to the confluence with the Mekong River, Administrator Power released endangered fish into the river waters to demonstrate USAID's support for healthy and thriving inland waterways that promote livelihoods, economic independence, autonomy, and food security. She underscored the U.S. government's support under the Mekong-U.S. Partnership for autonomy, protecting endangered aquatic marine life, and safeguarding the ecosystem of the Mekong watershed and other natural resources in Cambodia. USAID will continue to support Mekong conservation efforts in Cambodia and their expansion to the broader Mekong sub-region.
Additionally, Administrator Power met with U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh and USAID/Cambodia staff to celebrate their efforts and achievements to advance the U.S.-Cambodia relationship. To close out her trip, Administrator Power held a press conference and announced more than $50 million in new USAID and U.S. government programs and initiatives to assist farmers, expand the Wonders of the Mekong, support civil society and media, and more.
