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We have the science to convince. We know that higher excise taxes make economic sense in addition to reduce smoking, in particular among the young and the poor. We know that smuggling is a problem that must be dealt with independently of the price issue. And we know that in the long term, government divestment of tobacco holdings is responsible policy - both economically and health-wise.

n October, Member States will begin the negotiations on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This will be the first time that the public health community has led treaty negotiations. The process we set in motion has already fostered a global debate and pushed countries as well as tobacco companies to think about their actions from a public health perspective. The success of the FCTC will depend on our ability to link compelling data to robust decisions.

Many countries in this Region have shown a strong and active support for the work towards a Framework Convention. I appreciate this and count on you to continue this support so that the FCTC can become a strong and effective tool for tobacco control.

But the savagely exquisite terrain of Stung Treng province now tops the list of locations considered the most important gateway of drugs shipments entering Cambodia from Southeast Asia's notorious narco-state the "Golden Triangle."

Cambodian and international experts agree that Stung Treng is a major drug trafficking artery: amphetamines for the country's domestic market, and heroin bound for regional and eventually international markets in the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.