Tout Panha, state secretary in Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said at the ceremony that the “beautiful” song had “touched the heart” of Prime Minister Hun Sen when it was played to him during the ceremony. of a dinner organized by his Japanese. counterpart Fumio Kishida on April 23 in Kumamoto, Japan, on the sidelines of the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit. He said that Hun Sen sent the artist a letter of appreciation for writing the song.
According to Panha, Minamino and other rights holders allowed a music video of the song to be posted on the Cambodian government’s social networking service, allowing it to be broadcast on government-registered television channels.
Minamino, a well-followed Japanese personality, maintains close ties with Cambodia. She first visited the Kingdom in 1989 as part of a television project and then again in 2013.
She said the song “really reflects the reality of Cambodia in the late 1980s and the gradual transformation of the country”, as well as the close ties between the people of the two nations.
“I am sure that many Cambodians will also be deeply touched by this wonderful song, which will also help promote the lasting bond of friendship between the people of Cambodia and Japan,” Panha said.
Masahiro Mikami, Japan’s ambassador to Cambodia who presented the composition to Panha, said at the ceremony that the song was performed for the first time at the opening ceremony of this year’s Kizuna festival, an annual cultural event. hosted by the Embassy each February.
