Prime Minister Hun Sen criticized the rector of a European university yesterday when asked whether a member state of Asean would ever leave the regional bloc similar to last year’s “Brexit” – which saw the United Kingdom (UK) leave the European Union (EU). Mr. Hun Sen led a delegation to the four-day World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last month, and the prime minister said yesterday that he was asked about Asean during the conference.
 

“Once, I was joining the World Economic Forum in Davos, and there was a question from the rector of a university in Europe who raised a question directly to me and the Vietnamese prime minister about whether there are any Asean member countries that would leave Asean,” he told hundreds of government officials, experts and business executives at the Cambodia International Business Summit yesterday in Phnom Penh. “At the time, I responded that you should not ask a question about which countries will leave Asean, but you should ask if any countries in Europe will leave Europe after Brexit – that is the right question.
 

“In fact, Asean doesn’t have a big brother but Europe does. So we [Asean] are much more harmonized and have solidarity,” he added. “If the question was raised by someone from Asia, I don’t mind. But, in fact, it was from a European – coming from a region which is ‘shaking’ [due] to Brexit.” In June last year, the UK held a referendum on their membership in the EU, voting to leave the regional bloc. The move caused global uncertainty in stock markets, high volatility and weakened the EU, both regionally and globally, according to experts.

 

read more http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/35504/pm-says-no----brexit----in-asean/

 

 

-- © Copyright Khmer Times 16/02

The 'PM' objects to a European making comment on Asean politics. Perhaps these Europeans should withdraw the millions in foreign aid which rich Cambodians pocket every year.

This is the most stupid comment from a man who should know better.

ASEAN is, was, & always will be a useless alliance as any important issue they can never agree on

Eg, South China Sea  too many countries in ASEAN will always suck up to China

including Thailand as the PM is hellbent on building his high speed chuffa trains which 80% of the population cannot afford to ride on,,, & more importantly cannot maintain what they already have.SRT is a joke!!!!

" would ever leave the regional bloc similar to last year’s “Brexit” – which saw the United Kingdom (UK) leave the European Union (EU) "

 

wow that went through quickly once they decided..... very efficient. I thought they would have been talking about it for months before they actually did it...