Phnom penh: Cambodia and India today pledged closer cooperation in the fight against technology-based scams, a growing transnational threat. The commitment came during a working discussion here between H.E. Santepundit Chhay Sinarith, Senior Minister and Head of the Secretariat of the Ad Hoc Commission for Combating Online Scams, and H.E. Vanlalvawna Bawitlung, Ambassador of India to Cambodia.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, during the meeting, Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith reiterated the Royal Government of Cambodia's steadfast resolve to eradicate technology-based scams. He highlighted the commission's crucial role as an additional mechanism bolstering existing frameworks and emphasized Cambodia's proactive approach to research, investigation, enforcement, and legal action against cyber scam perpetrators, which has yielded significant results. H.E. Chhay Sinarith stressed the indispensable need for international collaboration to tackle the pervasive challenge of cyber scams affecting numerous countries.
For his part, Ambassador Bawitlung concurred that cyber scams represent a global issue demanding collective efforts from all nations. He affirmed India's readiness to collaborate closely with Cambodia in combating these crimes and indicated that India would consider providing capacity-building programmes upon the Ad Hoc Commission's request. The Ambassador also conveyed his appreciation to the Royal Government of Cambodia for its ongoing cooperation, particularly in the rescue and repatriation of Indian nationals.
Both officials reviewed past collaborative experiences and agreed on a series of follow-up actions to deepen bilateral cooperation. These measures include enhanced information sharing, joint investigations, capacity-building initiatives, the exchange of best practices, and the expedited repatriation of Indian nationals.