Cambodia, Croatia to strengthen demining partnership
Cambodia and Croatia have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in demining and technical innovation to accelerate mine clearance and support global landmine elimination, Khmer Times has reported.
The pledge followed the Cambodia-Croatia Dialogue on Mine Action Innovation and Cooperation held on 19 October in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, co-chaired by Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority first vice-president Ly Thuch and Croatian minister of foreign and European affairs Gordan Grlić Radman.
Thuch commended Croatia on completing its demining obligations under the Ottawa Convention after 31 years, during which it destroyed roughly 107,000 anti-personnel mines. He noted that Croatia’s transition to landmine-free status offers practical benchmarks for nations clearing legacy contamination.
Since 1992, Cambodia has cleared more than 3,500 square kilometres of land and neutralised over four million explosive remnants of war, Khmer Times reported. The Cambodian government maintains its strategic target to eliminate all known explosive hazards by 2035.
Cambodia is also reported to be deploying artificial intelligence, drones, satellite imagery and advanced sensors alongside manual demining teams.
Croatia and Cambodia to expand operational collaboration through joint field visits, expert trainer exchanges and victim assistance initiatives. Cambodia also continues to contribute its technical expertise to United Nations peacekeeping missions worldwide.
