Dear Friends,
Thank you very much for the interest in my book and for the number of letters I had received from you.
Also, please be advised that the full version of my book "The Kingdom of" will be exclusively posted on the site of Cambodia Business Network at: http://www.
Read "The Kingom of"-part nine fragment I.
Part Nine: Cambodiana
Fragment II
Mr. Armao’s plane arrived as expected at 5:40 PM. Platoons of military protection safely delivered all members of the expected delegation to the formal meeting place where we greeted Mr. Armao and his delegation with flowers and hearty smiles.
A Cambodian’s television camera operator followed the entire procession with his crew and a line of honor guards formed, giving our meeting a kind of special nature and illustrating the importance of such an event and adherence to the strict protocol of the meeting.
After the formal meeting, flowers, procession and introduction to the members of the government, we proceeded to the VIP Reception Pavilion for the reception and waited for a formal registration of visas. After Lady Protocol of the Senate President introduced herself and conveyed greetings from Mr. President, she said that Mr. President had invited Mr. Armao and his group to meet him tomorrow at 11:30 AM, at his residence, for which Mr. Armao thanked her. Mr. Armao shared with Lady Protocol his involvement in the US Government as he did two tours of duty at the White House and was Commissioner of Protocol for Mayor Edward Koch.
When the official part of the meeting was nearly completed, the Chief Officer of the Kingdom’s Customs had returned all passports and we exited to the assigned cars outside of the VIP terminal.
Supported by operational vehicles of the President of Senate, along with a police motorcycle escort, our procession moved toward the Raffles Hotel. The sirens and flashing lights of our moving escort had create holiday–like atmosphere. Phnom Penh came to life with the sparkling smiles of its people and became even more beautiful.
On the way, we passed the United States Embassy and saw an American flag. I was thrilled with my sense of pride in my mission in Cambodia, which gave even more strength to my desire to make the lives of her people better and more beautiful.
That same evening, we invited Mr. Armao and his delegation to the Cambodiana Hotel to have dinner with us. We were greatly obliged that Mr. Armao kindly accepted our invitation, since we knew he must have been tired from traveling.
We enjoyed quality French cuisine at the Lamboise restaurant, which was inside the Cambodiana Hotel. We were surrounded by Khmer’s hospitality and enjoyed a colorful musical performance by a band from the Philippines. The band’s three talented and beautiful vocalists and the repertoire of songs, which were well-known American hits, made our evening remarkable. It was also a great pleasure to be in the company of Mr. Armao. Since everyone was in a good mood and a relaxed state, I felt that I succeeded in my goal of presenting the early stages of my project for the Kingdom of Cambodia, while portraying the project as a safe investment.
The next morning, which was Saturday, we arrived at the Ruffles Hotel. Mr. Armao was waiting outside, surrounded by his associates. We then proceeded to our 11:30 meeting with Samdech Chea Sim, the President of the Cambodian Senate and the Chairman of the Cambodian People’s Party. The President honored us greatly by receiving us at his home. The room where our meeting took place was very neat and comfortable. On the wall, in the left upper corner, there were portraits of the Royal Family, including Norodom Sihamoni, the King of Cambodia, and his parents, Norodom Sihanouk and Norodom Monineath Sihanouk.
Behind the president's chair was a crafted mahogany bookcase wall unit filled with souvenirs from countries around the world, showcasing the major political and international experience of Mr. President. I was pleasantly surprised that in the center of the president’s table was a golden ceremonial mace of Ukrainian Hetman, a symbol of power and dignity. Vadim Rabinovich presented this souvenir during his recent visit.
Our summit was more of a friendly conversation than an official meeting; even the presence of a news crew did not stop it from feeling natural. At the meeting, we discussed very important questions that directly or indirectly related to the future of Cambodia and its economy. Mr. Armao briefly described his company’s work in the international community and its achievement of both economic and political goals.
Mr. Armao also expressed concerns about of the future of Cambodian tourism. He considers development of that industry to be a highly important economical and political instrument, as well as a process that will lead the kingdom progressively toward democracy, independence and economic growth. He noted the importance of education, building a country’s image and meeting the standards expected by international tourists.
Mr. President, cheerfully recall his visit to the United States in 1994, where in Washington he met with the Senator John McCain, who became his friend and had visited him in Cambodia.
Mr. President's statements throughout during our meeting communicated unselfish, benevolent love for his country and his people. I enjoyed the opportunity to express my sincere thanks to Mr. President for his tireless contributions to the happy future of the country.
After the meeting with Mr. President, Bunnaroeun offered us a tour, showing legendary historical places of Phnom Penh. They included the Royal Palace; the Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha; Wat Phnom; Wat Ounalom and Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek. The last sites were genocide museums, memorials to those killed under Khmer Rouge rule.
In the evening, Bunnaroeun invited Mr. Armao to meet with the mayor of Kampong Thom province. We had a nice time and a good dinner at the Intercontinental hotel, where we discussed Cambodia’s future business potential.
After the dinner and farewell to the mayor, Bunnaroeun invited Mr. Armao into the Rock Entertainment Center, where he wanted to introduce him to a group of Cambodian elite, including prominent businesspersons and representatives of the legal community. Mr. Armao accepted the invitation. When we arrived at the Rock, our group went into a private room, where we met eight people These included an attorney, Mr. Kang Rithkiry; a lottery man, Mr. Keth Hach Kannara; and Deputy Director of the Ministry of Interior Anti-Crime of Economic Police, General Seang Bun Leang.
Bunnaroeun introduced all those present, showing highest respect to the Minister of Justice, Ang Vong Vathana. The ceremony of introduction and continued business talk lasted only a short time. We exchanged business cards in keeping with Cambodian tradition, respectfully bowing and holding the cards with both hands. We also expressed some traditional phrases of thanks for this meeting, which Mr. Kiri the privilege of translating. Then, we were invited to sit on soft sofas lined up along the wall.
Moments later, after the small tables in front of us were set with drinks and snacks, a volcano of activity erupted in the center of the room. There was an ash cloud, and at its center was a group of young girls who stood momentarily frozen in position. Amid the confusion, Mr. Armao quietly asked, “What is that?”
“That,” I explained, “is the best part of the Cambodian tradition, widespread in the circles of high society.”
Bunnaroeun, as always, taking the natural disasters in his own hands, continued to flow lava into the right stream in a between of sitting on the sofa.
Unfortunately, Mr. Armao and his colleagues through a very short time, citing fatigue and due to the end of business processes were forced to leave us, but without compromising the continuation of our evening, which did not foresee our imminent end.
On Sunday, the next day, at 2:00PM, we had a meeting with Mr. Te Duong Tara, who was the Director General of Cambodian National Petroleum Authority. The meeting with Mr. Tara took place at his residence. We were highly appreciated to Mr. Chairman for seeing us, who understood a limited time visit of Mr. Armao in Cambodia and agreed to meet us on Sunday.
We spoke about Mr. Armao’s Singapore Branch of the Armao Energy Company, which at that time worked closely with the world’s largest oil companies, and of course, we were interested an availability of oil deposits and any tactical issues associated with oil production in the territory of Cambodia.
Mr. Tara left an impression of being a very competent and knowledgeable leader who was entrusted with leading the petroleum industry by the government of Cambodia. We received extensive information on the merits of the questions asked. All rally participants were satisfied that presaged a collaboration in the near future, and as a sign of mutual satisfaction, we made memorable photos.
Mr. Armao noticed that my eyes were red as a result of last night at the Rock and advised, “Gregory, do not over Rock yourself,” to which I responded with gratitude. Since my “Rock’s” brothers and I were obviously tired, we asked Mr. Armao to have dinner with us at the Cambodiana hotel. The nice and relaxing atmosphere at Mekong Garden restaurant made our dinner more pleasant and took our tiredness away.
After dinner, we met two beautiful young singers from the Philippines in the lobby. They invited us to attend their performance at Qba Bar, which we gladly accepted. The night turned out to be fun and filled with music.
Monday morning, Brother Bunnaroeun had arranged a meeting with high-ranking executives from The National Bank of Cambodia. Mr. Armao was interested into doing preliminary research regarding the possibility of one of the large international private equity firms purchasing a large Cambodian bank. Mr. Armao had a great deal of experience in the international bank acquisition area. As Mr. Armao has good personal relations with the leaders of many of the large private equity firms and consults with many of them on international opportunities, I thought it would be essential to try to interest these equity firms in Cambodia.
The executives of Cambodia’s National Bank informed us of the goals they wished to attain as well as their ideas for the future direction of the bank. They introduced us to the banking regulations for the Kingdom of Cambodia and Mr. Armao shared his points of interest; everybody was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting and the forecast for the future.
Later that day, we had a meeting at the Cabinet Ministry of Tourism. We were surprised to learn from the minister that the government does not recognize tourism as a major source of economic growth. Without tourism, there would not be sufficient funds for the improvement and modernization of the industry in the country, which would result in a direct dependence on foreign investment.
Mr. Armao had presented his point of view on the tourism in Cambodia as he had shared with Mr. President of Senate. David Morey, who is an expert and one of the world’s known strategists in the field of international tourism, had advised the ministry that the high importance is: to build a modern brand of Cambodia as a new image with the possible reality to become the World leading country, within the most favorable tourist’s destinations.
Unfortunately, the visit of Mr. Armao was coming to the end. Dr. Bunnaroeun had communicated that the meeting with the King could possibly be scheduled on Saturday, January 27 due to the King’s schedule. Bunnaroeun also mention that the rice for the hanger is in the process of being purchased for our satisfaction, which was good to know.
My flight to New York has scheduled, initially, on Wednesday the 24th. I could do nothing as to extend my stay and change my plans to have the honor to meet with His Majesty the King, but Mr. Armao, with all his profound respect for the royal family and to the King, faced to impossibility to change their plans and stay longer for the meeting. In the preceding of a last night to stay in the Kingdom, he helped us with a great honor and in gratitude, invited us to have a dinner with them, at the Restaurant Le Royal of Raffles Hotel.
Over the dinner, Mr. Armao had learned about our upcoming meeting with the ministry of Industry and Energy, which supposed to be present after his departure. Since Mr. Armao would not be able to attend this meeting, I asked if any of his contacts might have future interests in this area. He responded by asking his Executive Assistant, Lucas Gonzalez, to make a call to one of his associates, a major principal in many mining companies including one of the world's largest companies mining nickel and palladium metals. From the conversation, it was clear that the international mining investor, who respectfully listened to the recommendations of Mr. Armao, showed interest and asked to obtain complete information for mining of precious metals in Cambodia. I was thankful for this call as long as my forthcoming meeting with the Ministry of Industry and Energy had a productive soil, referring to the interest of the big mining investor.
On the next day, January 23 2007, Mr. Armao had departed from Phnom Penh to continue his trip to Seoul, Korea, leaving to our group a wonderful feeling of hope, which was so essential that to overcome the noble goal, to make our planet better and more beautiful. Of course, the arrival of the delegation headed by Mr. Armao to Cambodia, left to our group more confidence and importance of all upcoming events.
On Wednesday, January 24, Bunnaroeun confirmed our Saturday 27th of January meeting with His Majesty the King. Our group become closer, because of all the events occurred.
Vladimir and Murat invited me to Sihanoukville for a few days so that I could gain a better impression and a greater understanding of Cambodia. I was very happy about this invitation, although my brother Bunnaroeun was unable to join us. Our four-hour trip from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville was pleasant. We made some stops on the way, including a stop at a restaurant where a friendly rhesus monkey posed with us for a photograph. We felt so sorry for eating ones monkey brains for our meal.
We checked in at Sokha Beach Resort, which had 20,000 hectares of coastal mangroves, a private white sand beach, and all the amenities one would expect at a five star hotel. The only downside, which we noticed when we were enjoying our evening by listening to a jazz band at the lobby bar, was the lack of air conditioning in the lobby area. Regardless, that small discomfort did not spoil our good time. The hotel was beautiful and the rooms were nice.
I recalled the advice that Mr. Armao brought to the Minister of Tourism, which was that, in order to elevate their resort’s reputation, they must have air conditioning. Armao said, “Americans want to have air conditioning anywhere they go. You may take beaches away as long as you have a swimming pool, but the air conditioning must always be there.”
The time I spent with Vladimir and Murat gave me adequate time and opportunity to get to know them better. They both have an excellent education. Murat is a graduate of Kiev University and a master combatant. Vladimir graduated from Kiev Art Institute and has a black belt in karate. They have previously served in the Special Division of the Special Forces unit, but left the service after sustaining wounds in the war.
Though Vladimir and Murat were both married, but they maintained their “Macho-Man” lifestyle while living in Cambodia. Meanwhile, they felt increasing guilt in regards to the immorality they saw around them.
Sometimes, present themselves as gay couple, they were certainly able to travel around to all of the popular and hidden tourist spots in Cambodia, which Bunnaroeun had showed them at the beginning of their visit. They saw the whole unfolding culture of exploitation: child prostitutes and predatory pedophiles, both locals and tourists. In addition, I was pleasantly surprised that these two were repulsed by these behaviors, as I was, and that they hated that and even wanted to serve in the morality Police force to fight this disgusting trend. I was sure that their participation in this fight would be unmistakably welcomed.
The Russian community living and working in Sihanoukville, was not that big, but lived in harmony and unity. I was confident that Vladimir and Murat contributed favorably to this, because they were greatly respected by all who knew them. They opposed any lawlessness generated by drunken tourists and harshly taught these visitors a lesson about how to behave in their adopted land. Even in a resort setting, regular exercises kept them in good shape. In addition, Vladimir kept mentally busy by using his extraordinary talent to tirelessly draw pictures. Many of these I call masterpieces, because they confer the unique flavor of Cambodia and her people. I am sure that in time, these masterpieces will be part of the world's best art collections.
Brother Bunnaroeun called us constantly. Over time, I noticed some mild disappointment in Vladimir and Murat’s relationship with Bunnaroeun, I’m sure they kept some secrets, but as long they did not tell anything freely, I did not interrogate them and decided that they want to be just independent. As I learned, their triumph of friendship and honor, where they would be ready and not hesitate to give up their lives if there are threats to one of them or their friends, so that the same forces have a great respect for them.
We came back to Cambodiana hotel on Friday evening; it felt like a homecoming seeing all those well-known faces. Bunnaroeun came to us shortly after and confirmed that the local regulators had approved the Bon-Bon World Corporation. Then, he asked for his money and reminded us that tomorrow was Saturday 27. We had been invited to the Royal Palace to meet with the King, His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, at 9:00 a.m.
Part Ten: The King, His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni
To be continued:
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