Russia, Cambodia work on visits of prime ministers - Russian minister

HANOI, July 19. /TASS/. Russia and Cambodia have been working on preparations for the visits of prime ministers, Russia’s Minister of Communication Nikolai Nikiforov, who is on a working visit in Cambodia, told TASS on Sunday. "Russian and Cambodian Prime Ministers Dmitry Medvedev and Hun Sen have exchanged official invitations to visit their countries, and clear inclination to organise the visits is seen on either side," he said. The Russian minister is the head of the Russian part of the intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation. During the working visit to Cambodia, he met with head of the Cambodian part of the intergovernmental commission - Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong. "We discussed the current agenda - we have drafted for signing at least nine documents, which we plan to be finalised by the visits of our prime ministers," the Russian minister said. The list of documents includes: an agreement on fighting legalisation of criminal proceeds, an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal cases and an agreement on extradition of persons sentenced to imprisonment. Besides, the countries have been working effectively to prepare for signing an agreement on direct aviation flights between Russia and Cambodia. "Signing of this document will offer further development of cooperation between our countries in tourism," the Russian official said. "Russian tourists have clearly underestimated Cambodia, though even the country is offering conditions of sea resorts, which are comparable with those at the popular resorts in neighbouring Thailand." Partnership in tourism and in other spheres was on agenda of a Russia-Cambodia business forum, which the Russian embassy and Cambodia’s chamber of trade have organised jointly. The Russian side was represented by leading companies like Rostech (production and export of high-technology goods), Rosatom (a nuclear energy corporation) and by producer of trucks - KAMAZ. While commenting on results of the meetings in consultations in Cambodia, the Russian minister said about "a major positive dynamics in the Russian-Cambodian relations." "Governments of the two countries have been supporting bilateral cooperation," he said. "We are opening a wide spectrum of cooperation in various directions and we shall be working on to develop them." Read more