Sunday, 4 October 2009

New Japanese government pledges to continue aid Cambodia+


(Post by CAAI News Media)
SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Oct. 3 (AP) - (Kyodo)—New Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada assured his Cambodian counterpart Saturday that despite a change of government in Japan, policy toward Cambodia remains unchanged, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said after meeting with Okada.
Hor Namhong, also deputy prime minister, said the pledge was made by Okada during bilateral talks on the sideline of the second Mekong- Japan foreign ministerial meeting in Cambodia's northern province Siem Reap.

In a separate press briefing, Kazuo Okada, press secretary of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, said the foreign minister touched on several issues during his meeting with Hor Namhong, including the Khmer Rouge trial, Japanese official development assistance, investment, removal of land mines and Japanese nongovernmental organizations working in Cambodia.

On demining, Okada said Japan is planning to provide 1.1 billion yen for removal of unexploded ordnance, while at the same time Japan is committed to continue supporting the trial process of former leaders of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, according to the press secretary.

Japan has been the leading donor to Cambodia after the signing of the Cambodia Peace Agreement in 1991.

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