US and Cambodia Seal Cultural Memorandum

via the US Embassy in Cambodia, 31 October 2023: The Smithsonian Institution and Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture inked a Memorandum of Understanding to bolster professional development, museum management, and cultural preservation. This pact underscores the robust cultural cooperation between the US and Cambodia, fostering exchange and research to unveil Cambodia’s rich heritage to the world.

The MOU establishes the specific goals of increasing museum staff capacity through exchanges; facilitating counsel on museum management; loaning and exchanging exhibitions and other objects; and collaborating on research. The MOU will also strengthen collaboration between the United States and Cambodia on cultural heritage preservation and countering illicit trafficking of Cambodian antiquities and artifacts.

The signing of the MOU is another testament to robust U.S.-Cambodia cultural cooperation, including efforts to preserve and restore Cambodia’s rich cultural heritage and reduce the pillaging of irreplaceable archaeological material. The United States has facilitated the return of over 100 priceless antiquities to Cambodia and contributed funding and training to protect, preserve, and restore Cambodia’s cultural heritage over the past 20 years.

Source: The Smithsonian Institution and Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts Sign a Cultural Agreement between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the United States – U.S. Embassy in Cambodia