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Great recognition for a great dedication: Nicolaus Mesterharm, founding director of the German Cambodian Cultural Center Meta-House Goethe-Center in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh, was awarded the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Ambassador Dr. Ingo Karsten presented the order on 1 November 2018 for Mr. Mesterharm’s unwavering commitment to the German-Cambodian understanding.

From Thursday to Sunday, classical music is going to be the nucleus of Phnom Penh’s cultural scene as the Art Plus Foundation invites to the 15th edition of the International Music Festival. It introduces works by immigrant composers from 19th century onwards in an advanced perspective of their works. There are four concerts between 1 and 4 November, each day one.

Lonely Planet, a giant among travel guide book publishers, emphasizes tourists from all over the world to visit Germany in 2019. It is the only European country in the top-ten ranking and is solely outperformed by Sri Lanka. And this insider tip is well-founded: “Prepare for a roller-coaster ride of feasts, treats and temptations experiencing Germany’s soul-stirring scenery, spirit-lifting culture, big-city beauties, romantic palaces and half-timbered towns.”

According to the latest Global Competitiveness Index published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Germany is the most competitive country in Europe and number three in the world. Climbing two positions compared to the previous report, only the United States and Singapore perform better while Switzerland ranks fourth and Japan fifth.

The original Munich Oktoberfest is already over, but the Phnom Penh edition is yet to come. So join ADW’s annual Cambodian Oktoberfest on October 26th and 27th in Phnom Penh!

There are only few experts who have similar deep insights into the apparel industry as Marco Kalinna, CEO of Cosmos Services, a local garment trade supplier. Since the European Union has indicated a possible suspension of trade facilitation under the “Everything But Arms” (EBA) scheme, expertise on this industry is in great demand as garments comprise about 80% of all Cambodian exports. In an interview conducted by the Southeast Asia Globe online edition, Mr. Kalinna – a board member of ADW since its earliest days – illuminates the current state of affairs.

On 25 September 2018, EuroCham’s chairman, Arnaud Darc, and ADW’s president, Tassilo Brinzer, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with GIZ represented by Guenther Riethmacher. GIZ is a German development agency that provides services in the field of international development cooperation. The MoU formalizes cooperation between the German Business Group Cambodia (ADW) and GIZ in establishing a business & cooperation desk within the German chapter of EuroCham.

This week-end, the world’s largest annual Volksfest (a beer festival and travelling funfair) opens its doors with the traditional same traditional procedure: A twelve-gun salute and the tapping of the first keg of Oktoberfest beer at 12:00 p.m. by the incumbent Mayor of Munich with the proclamation “O’zapft is!” (“It's tapped!” in the Austro-Bavarian dialect). From September 22^nd to October 7^th, about six million people will visit edition 185. Nearly one million guests are foreigners travelling mainly on this occasion to Munich.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be achieved only if the private sector is actively involved in the process of finding solutions. This is one of Germany’s “Agenda 2030” main conclusions, and consequently German development cooperation steadily increases its efforts to integrate private sector engagement into its work around the globe. By establishing the Global Business Network (GBN) programme in Cambodia, the German Business Group and EuroCham are entering a new stage in their support of this strategy. The Business and Cooperation Desk is directly located in the EuroCham office in Phnom Penh and will be managed by Mrs. Bianca Untied.

In recent times, Germany has evolved as the most popular work destination in Europe and ahead of every other country in the world except the United States. However, so far often it is very difficult or even impossible for non-EU citizens to work in there while, at the same time, the country suffers from a grave shortage of skilled workers. Consequently, in August the German government has developed a general framework for a new immigration law that is supposed to be adopted by the Bundestag (federal parliament) until 2021.