Promoting intra-regional connectivity for economic growth: Cambodia and ASEAN in 2012

Since​ 2002,​ this​ year​ Cambodia​ played​ role​ as​ the​ Chair​ of​ ASEAN​ for​ the​ first​ time.​ The​ Chair​ will​ provide​ an​ opportunity​ for​ Cambodia​ to​ mould​ the​ form​ of​ one​ of​ the​ region’s​ most​ influential​ institutions.​ New​ trade​ linkages​ and​ additional​ sources​ of​ demand​ are​ benefited​ from​ the​ closed​ regional​ interconnectivity​ and​ cooperation.​ The​ Southern​ Economic​ Corridor​ is​ an​ example​ that​ a​ range​ of​ measures​ are​ designed​ to​ foster​ ASEAN​ member​ states​ to​ stay​ connected​ through​ the​ improvement​ of​ road​ and​ rail​ links​ between​ Cambodia​ and​ regional​ manufacturing​ hubs,​ cross-border​ electricity​ cooperation,​ and​ the​ upgrading​ of​ regional​ telecommunications​ and​ ICT​ infrastructure.​ This​ brief​ also​ takes​ a​ look​ at​ the​ challenges​ of​ Cambodia​ in​ the​ role​ as​ the​ Chair:​ Cambodia​ will​ be​ enable​ to​ put​ the​ organisation​ to​ reach​ its​ goal​ of​ a​ single​ ASEAN​ Economic​ Community​ (AEC)​ by​ 2015​ as​ well​ as​ to​ develop​ institutional​ capacity​ to​ implement​ policy​ transparently​ and​ effectively.