Japan and Cambodia will collaborate to clear mines in Ukraine and other war-torn countries.
This announcement was made by Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, according to the Associated Press.
She emphasized Cambodia’s leadership in global mine action efforts.
"Cambodia is an important partner for Japan in its global demining efforts. I am confident that Cambodia will significantly contribute to raising awareness about the inhumanity of anti-personnel mines, as a country that has suffered from them," said Yoko Kamikawa during her visit to the Cambodian Mine Action Center.
Additionally, the Japanese Foreign Minister stated that under the Japan-Cambodia Mine Action Initiative, Japan will provide comprehensive assistance for humanitarian demining in Ukraine.
Specifically, next week Ukraine will receive a large demining machine, and next month training for Ukrainian personnel on how to operate this machine will take place in Cambodia.
Furthermore, the Associated Press noted that Cambodian deminers are among the most experienced in the world, with thousands sent over the past decade under UN auspices to work in Africa and the Middle East. In 2022, Cambodia began training deminers from Ukraine, which also suffers from high-density landmines and other unexploded ordnance.
In its 2022 report, the NGO Landmine Monitor listed Cambodia and Ukraine among nine countries with "massive" mine contamination, meaning they have over 100 square kilometers of uncleared fields.
After the end of hostilities in Cambodia, nearly 20,000 people were killed and about 45,000 were injured due to explosive remnants of war, although the annual death toll has decreased from several thousand to less than 100.
