A VISIT BRINGING ABOUT A STRONGER

TIE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN

CAMBODIA AND INDIA

Samdech CHEA SIM was reported as saying that the official visit of His Excellency ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE. Prime Minister of the Republic of India, bore an outstanding importance for the strengthening and deepening of the traditional tie for cooperation in all fields between Cambodia and India.

In an audience granted to the Indian Prime Minister on 10 April at the Office of the Senate, Samdech the President of the Senate expressed his gratitude to the government of India, which has unceasingly extended strong support to Cambodian people on all occasions. Samdech expected that the visit of Samdech HUN SEN, Prime minister of Cambodia, paid to India last year and the current visit of the Prime Minister of India to Cambodia have strengthened the tie of cooperation between the two countries and will bring about fruitful outcome.

The Indian Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction to the result of his visit to Cambodia and highly evaluated the achievements the Cambodian people gained. He expressed hope that the tie of cooperation between the governments and the executive bodies of the two countries will be strengthened.

It should be noted that following an invitation of Samdech HUN SEN, His Excellency ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE, Prime Minister of India, paid a 3-day official visit to Cambodia from 9 to 11 April 2002. It was the second official visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Cambodia within the last 48 years, following the first visit of the Indian Prime Minister, His Excellency NEHRU, to Cambodian in 1954.

Peoples of the two countries, Cambodian and Indian, have a very close historic tie rooted in the old ages, especially in the field of culture and religion. India is one of the largest democratic countries in the world (it has nearly one billion population, i.e. 952 million), which has extended strong support to peace and development cause of Cambodia. The government of India had especially supported the rebirth of the Cambodian people who survived the genocide regime on 7 January 1979, whilst many countries in the world introduced politico-social sanction on Cambodia.

Through the exchange of visits, Cambodia and India have reached 3 Agreements contributing to closer tie of cooperation, i.e. primo an agreement on the preservation and reconstruction of Prasat Ta Prom, secundo an agreement on civil aviation and tierto an agreement on the exemption of visa for the service and diplomatic passports.

Within the spirit of the agreement reached, India will provide to Cambodian an amount of 5 million US dollars for the preservation and reconstruction of Prasat Taprom within 10-12 years. India and Cambodia has agreed to discuss the loan of 10 million US dollars granted by India to Cambodia as proposed by Cambodia during the visit of Prime Minister HUN SEN to India in February 2000. In the framework of Mekong-Kungkea (water) Cooperation, India will be providing one million US dollars to the reconstruction of an Asian traditional textile museum in Seim Reap. In the meantime, India announced the donation of 10'000 metric tons of rice for relief distribution to Cambodian victims of flood prone to the Mekong river.

Within the framework of ASEAN, the Indian Prime Minister announced the support of India to the initiative put forward last year aiming to reduce the gap between the 4 new members and the old members of ASEAN.

Regarding the trial of the former leaders of the Khmer Rouge, the Indian Prime Minister will provide an an Indian judge if the United Nations withdraw from the trial process.

In an efforts to enhance the tie between the two countries, His Excellency ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE extended his invitation to Their Majesties King Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Monineath Sihanouk, to Samdech Chea Sim, President of the Senate and Samdech Hun Sen, the Prime Minister, to visit India at their earliest convenience. Their Majesties the King and Queen expressed their royal thankfulness for the cordial invitation, and Samdech Chea Sim as well as Samdech Hun Sen have accepted the invitation.