Patil for closer cooperation with Cambodia in HR, agri,defence

Rakesh Mohan Chaturvedi
Phnom Penh, Sept 15 (PTI) Indian President Pratibha
Patil underlined the potential for enhancing close cooperation
between India and Cambodia in the field of Human Resource
development, defence, agriculture and infrastructure, as she
hailed the cordial relations between the two countries.
Speaking at a banquet held in her honour by King of
Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni on Tuesday, Patil said there has
been close association between the two countries since the
time of Jawaharlal Nehru's Prime Ministership.
India's first Prime Minister visited Cambodia in 1954.
Patil is the second Indian president, after Rajendra
Prasad in March 1959, to pay a state visit to Cambodia.
"Human resource development and capacity building have
been the primary focus of India-Cambodia bilateral cooperation
for the last many years.
"India is cooperating with Cambodia in infrastructural
projects, considered priority projects for the development of
Cambodia, under concessional lines of credit," Patil said.
On Tuesday, India signed a USD 15 million line of
credit to Cambodia for the latter's ongoing Stung Tassal Water
Development Project.
Patil also underlined further possibilities of
collaborations on defence and security-related issues between
the two countries.
"India is happy to play a role in training the Royal
Cambodian Armed Forces officials.
"It is heartening that in less than two decades,
Cambodia has transformed itself from a country which hosted
blue berets, to a troop-contributing nation for UN
peacekeeping operations in Africa," she said.
"We value the support extended by Cambodia for India's
enhanced engagement with the ASEAN and for India's inclusion
in the East Asia Summit," she added.
Patil maintained that since the agriculture sector in
both countries is large, there was tremendous scope for
cooperation.
"Initiatives have also been undertaken to enhance
economic engagement between our two countries. We need to
encourage private sectors to pro-actively explore trade and
investment opportunities," she said.
The Indian President also emphasised on closer
cultural ties between the two countries, having predominantly
young populations, "so that our friendship and deep cultural
links continue to resonate in the future".
A Chair of Sanskrit and Buddhist Studies at Preah
Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University and of Mekong-Ganga
Cooperation Asian Traditional Textiles Museum have been
set-up. (MORE) PTI RC
AHM


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