Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (R) shakes hands with visiting South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (L) in Phnom Penh yesterday
Written by DAP NEWS -- Friday, 23 October 2009
(Posted by CAAI News Media)
Cambodia and South Korea are now comprehensive and strategic partners with in cooperation with many fields, Cambodia Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters at his ministry after bilateral talks between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, Hor Namhong said that both sides have enlarged all fields of cooperation to their mutual benefit.
He said that both sides signed agreements, including an extradition treaty, said to be necessary given the increasing movement of people and growth of two way trade and investment. An agreement on a soft loan concession worth US$200 million was also made. “The two agreements were signed under witness from the two leaders,” Hor Namhong added.
Cambodia will also provide one year visas for South Korea tourists to encourage them to visit, Hor Namhong said. Lee Myung-Bak told PM Hun Sen that he is urging all South Korean developers to continue work on their projects in Cambodia.
According to press release from the Cambodian side, both countries will today sign an MoU concerning mines, oil, forestry and climate change, education and culture. According to press release from the South Korean Foreign Ministry, South Korea will enhance cooperation on bio-fuel and agriculture, providing modern technological methods and Cambodian human resources and build a center for agricultural techniques in Cambodia.
South Korea will plant 200,000 hectares of rubber plantations in Cambodia, as well as cooperate on forestry and bio-fuel production to reduce carbon emissions. Currently, more than 500 South Korean enterprises are doing business here and helping economic growth in Camb-odia, Lee said in his speech.
South Korean investors have invested on the garment, tourism, construction, telecommunication, fin- ancial and banking, he added. “All these things will assist and improve Cambodian living conditions.”
The bilateral trade between Cambodia and South Korea is expanding rapidly after 12 years of diplomatic relations. Trade volume between Cambodia and South Korea increased sixfold and investment from South Korea increased 70 times since 1997. Around 270,000 South Korean tourists visited last year and South Korea visitor numbers have consistently been in the top five countries in the five past years. Lee visit here for two days according to the state invitation from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and today Lee will visit the famed Angkor Wat temple. “My visit to Angkor Wat temple will bring more South Korea tourists to visit there,” Lee said in his speech. Lee will leave Cambodia today to attend the ASEAN summit in Thailand. Lee, a former economic advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen, visited Cambodia as a second leg after he visited Vietnam.
During talks with Cambodian PM Hun Sen, S. Korean President Lee-Myun Bak said Korea would offer over 3,500 jobs for Cambodians in S. Korea, according to a Foreign Ministry spokesman.
“The Korean President also welcomed Cambodian women to work in Korea,” Koy Kuong said, adding that the president vowed to protect Cambodian women who marry Korean men.
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