PHNOM PENH, 20 March 2022 – Today, the Embassy of Japan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a new agreement in the presence of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and Mr. Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan at the Peace palace in Phnom Penh.

The Royal Government of Cambodia prioritized energy access for the past two decades, developing a rapid and unprecedented growth in electrification – from 6.6 percent in 2000 to 97.53 percent in 2021.

The new initiative will be implemented by UNDP and the Ministry of Mines and Energy within the framework of the project for Inclusive Renewable Energy Access in Rural Areas. The project will provide 1,300 households with direct access to 24/7 reliable and affordable clean energy. The communities are currently inaccessible by road, located on remote islands scattered in Tonle Sap Lake of Kampong Chhnang Province, on the Mekong River in Kratié and Stueng Treng Provinces, and in recently demined rural areas in Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Oddor Meanchey and Ratanakiri provinces, leaving no one behind.

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For media inquiries, please contact:
- H.E. Heng Kunleang, Director-General of Energy, Ministry of Mines and Energy, hengkunleang@gmail.com
- Mr. KURIBAYASHI Takanori, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan, takanori.kuribayashi@mofa.go.jp
- Mr. Samruol Im, Head of Communications, UNDP Cambodia at samruol.im@undp.org

Khmer Press Release
Commentary Note by Mrs. Alissar Chaker, Resident Representative