With Vietnam on its eastern borders and Thailand to the west, Cambodia finds

itself in the center of a group of Southeast Asian nation that are now undergoing 

phenomenal development. Thus, Cambodia is a nation whose location gives it immense 

significance as the Southeast Asian Economic Zone gears itself up on a future course 

under the immense umbrella of the AFTA union. In historical terms also, Cambodia is 

the most ancient Southeast Asian Country to have established a unified Kingdom, 

whose historical and cultural legacy survives to this day in the form of numerous 

colossal architectural edifices, most notably Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. 

The presence of the Kingdom responsible for the creation of this mighty heritage 

testifies to the rich fertility and geographic importance of the nation of Cambodia.



	However, tragic civil strife, erupting in the 1970's, has continued to wreak 

havoc on the Cambodian realm for more than two decades, with the death toll said 

to have amounted to some millions. Nonetheless, thanks to the interim administrative 

intervention of the United Nations, Cambodia adopted a new construction in the 

constituent assembly in 1993. The foundation of the Kingdom of Cambodia, a con-

stitutional monarchy under His Majesty King Shihanouk, has allowed conditions in 

Cambodia to enjoy a new stability.



	Accordingly, despite the fact that Japan's domestic image of Cambodia tends 

to dwell on civil war, a glimpse at Cambodia's geographical significance, development 

potential, human resources, and other aspects shows that exchange between this 

nation and Japan is of extreme importance on a non governmental level too.



	This Association, therefore, was established to promote cultural and economic 

interchange between Japan and Cambodia on a non governmental level. In so doing, 

we hope to employ culture, technology, and capital, along with the exchange of human 

resources, to serve to broaden our understanding of each other, while at the same 

time contributing to the development the culture and economy of Cambodia. In order 

to achieve these objectives, our Association is to engage in the following projects.



	We sent an economic exchange mission to Cambodia in April. On that 

occasion, we received a warm support officially and unofficially from First Prime Minister,



 Second Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism, Minister of Economy and Finance, Minister 

of Commerce, General of Siem Reap Province, Vice governors of Phnom Penh, Japan 

Embassy to Cambodia, and Cambodian Embassy to Japan for our Prospectus and our 

future plans of enterprises. So we believe that J.C.E.A. will be an important association 

about culture and economic exchange between Japan and Cambodia.