Cambodia supports India's bid for UN Security Council seat - Summary

via CAAI

Posted : Mon, 13 Sep 2010

By : dpa

Phnom Penh - Cambodia confirmed Monday that it would support India's bid to secure a permanent seat on an enlarged UN Security Council in comments that coincided with the arrival in Phnom Penh of Indian President Pratibha Patil.

Koy Kuong, a spokesman for Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that in return, Cambodia sought India's support for its own UN ambitions.

"We hope that India will reciprocate in kind to support Cambodia as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2013 to 2014," he said. "We should mutually support each other."

Cambodia's position followed a statement from Patil in which she noted that Cambodia and Laos, where she has spent the past five days, had given "unconditional support" to India's efforts to secure a permanent seat on the UN's highest decision-making body.

Patil began her five-day visit to Cambodia Monday and was expected to discuss investment and security issues.

She said Cambodia, Laos and India shared a cultural heritage dating back centuries.

"I will assure [Cambodia and Laos] that they can count on India as a willing development partner," she said at the start of her trip to both nations.

Patil said India wanted to boost trade and investment with Cambodia, which she described as growing but "much below potential."

The Indian embassy in Phnom Penh listed total trade between the two nations at 50 million dollars for 2008-09, the bulk of it Indian exports, such as pharmaceuticals, cotton and machinery.

Patil was expected to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen, King Norodom Sihamoni and senior government officials.