Speeches
Remarks by Ambassador Joseph A. Mussomeli, Grand Opening of Crown Beverage Cans (Cambodia) Ltd.
Phnom Penh
December 04, 2007
Your Excellency Deputy Prime Minister Sok An,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure to be here to celebrate the entry of Crown Holdings Inc. into the Cambodian marketplace, and to inaugurate this magnificent state-of-the-art packaging facility. Crown Holdings has established its world-class brand through innovation, discipline, and hard work. We are all delighted welcome Crown Holdings from its corporate headquarters in Philadelphia into its 42nd country of operations here in the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Congratulations to John Conway, Chairman and CEO of Crown Holdings Inc, Jozef Salaerts, Crown Holdings Asia-Pacific President, Mike Ruddick, General Manager of Crown Beverage Cans (Cambodia), and the local Crown team for seeing this project through and organizing such a terrific ceremony here today.
I don't have to tell you all that Cambodia is finally becoming a focus for investment and that Cambodia recently has one of the highest GDP growth rates in the world. Perhaps predictably, we Americans have been a little bit behind the curve, but we are now beginning to re-discover the Cambodian market.
This re-discovery has been slow. In truth, Cambodia has suffered from two serious problems. First, its recent history -- 30 years of civil war, foreign invasions, and economic chaos. But for the first time in decades, Cambodia now has sustained political and economic stability. Unfortunately, Cambodia’s other problem is more intractable and pernicious –- our perceptions of Cambodia. While Cambodia has made great strides to enter the 21st century, some foreigners, especially the foreign media, are stuck in the past. Their mindset, when they are mindful at all, wallows in the past and cannot see the present, let alone the future.
The Cambodian government and people deserve much credit for the dramatic change in the political and economic atmosphere here. Government reforms have made it easier for businesses. Customs changes have made it easier for Cambodia to trade with other countries. Cambodia has one of Asia's most liberal regimes for foreign investors.
Of course more needs to be done and I believe the government of Cambodia is committed to doing what needs to be done. The rule of law needs to become more central to Cambodian society and business. Improvements in infrastructure need to be accelerated. And, most crucially, corruption cannot be ignored. While some investments will come regardless the level of corruption, Cambodia will lose a great many of its potential investors if it does not fiercely combat it. All countries have corruption –- including America -- but at the risk of sounding unfair, Cambodia cannot afford the luxury of corruption. This fight against corruption, in turn, will engender even more confidence in the Cambodian marketplace, attracting further international investment in the country.
Every journey of a thousand miles proceeds one step at a time. The opening of this facility represents another step forward for Crown Holdings Inc., -- and for Cambodia.
If we take a moment to pause and look back it is amazing to me just how far Cambodia has come. Cambodia has emerged from a history of war-induced destitution and is transitioning to a vibrant country of promise and hope. Ten years ago who could have imagined that we would be participating in this celebration to welcome another publicly-traded company on the New York Stock Exchange into the Cambodian marketplace?
This celebration not only marks the entry of the world’s leader in metal packaging technology into the Cambodian marketplace, it also demonstrates broader successes for Cambodia. At this stage in its development, one challenge for Cambodia is to diversify its economy away from textiles and tourism and to develop a broader economic base. The opening of this packaging facility represents a step forward in this effort to diversify.
You know, I am always inspired by the sights and sounds of factories that take seemingly useless, grimy raw inputs and turn them into shiny finished products. If we look back at the industrialization of many of today’s developed countries we find that the energy and vibrancy of the industrialists who built the first factories was also reflected in the vibrant politics of the country. Look at England during its industrial revolution, or Germany. Their parliaments thrived.
Of course, I am biased toward America and its founding in the late 18th century. Our young nation’s constitution supported innovation and hard work with patent and copyright protections, just as it supported democratic values and the political rights of individuals. So I'm delighted that Cambodia is eager to move in a similar direction, with Cham Prasidh telling our US Trade Representative recently that Cambodia wants to be a leader in intellectual property protection in the same way that it is a leader in labor standards. Developing strong enforcement of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other forms of intellectual property will only strengthen Cambodia's attractiveness to other foreign investors.
Who knows how many patents went into the development of this packaging facility. It is inspiring. And, I must admit, it is fun, too, to get to see it right in front of our eyes. I hope that this type of modern development in Cambodia speaks well for the joint economic and political development of Cambodia’s people that will in turn attract more investors and more factories.
Again, congratulations to all of you.
