DPA
Phnom Penh - Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday left for Australia for high-level talks during which he is expected to ink a deal for a prisoner exchange agreement between the two nations and sign off on a new bauxite mine for Australian mining giant BHP.
Hun Sen declined comment as he left the airport, accompanied by Defense Minister Tea Banh, Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh, high ranking economic officials and a number of Cambodia's top businessmen. Cambodian media and telecommunications magnate Kith Meng was scheduled to join the group later in the evening.
The prisoner exchange deal could see a number of Australians returned home to serve out their sentences, including convicted pedophile Bart Lauwaert, who is serving 20 years, and teenage drug mule Gordon Vuong, who is serving 13 years. Only one Cambodian is believed to be in prison in Australia.
Hun Sen's spokesman, Srey Tamrong, was quoted in local media Sunday as confirming the prisoner exchange and mining deals.
However he was also not available for comment before he boarded the plane at Phnom Penh International Airport Sunday, and an Australian embassy spokesman seeing the delegation off said Australia would comment on the matters Monday.
The Cambodian government has not yet disclosed how much the reportedly rich bauxite mining deal on the border of eastern Kratie and Mondulkiri provinces is worth. BHP has already been awarded a petroleum exploration contract in Cambodia's relatively new and potentially lucrative offshore oil fields.
Members of the Cambodian delegation will meet with Australia's highest government officials as well as business leaders. They are scheduled to end their visit on October 14.
Hun Sen declined comment as he left the airport, accompanied by Defense Minister Tea Banh, Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh, high ranking economic officials and a number of Cambodia's top businessmen. Cambodian media and telecommunications magnate Kith Meng was scheduled to join the group later in the evening.
The prisoner exchange deal could see a number of Australians returned home to serve out their sentences, including convicted pedophile Bart Lauwaert, who is serving 20 years, and teenage drug mule Gordon Vuong, who is serving 13 years. Only one Cambodian is believed to be in prison in Australia.
Hun Sen's spokesman, Srey Tamrong, was quoted in local media Sunday as confirming the prisoner exchange and mining deals.
However he was also not available for comment before he boarded the plane at Phnom Penh International Airport Sunday, and an Australian embassy spokesman seeing the delegation off said Australia would comment on the matters Monday.
The Cambodian government has not yet disclosed how much the reportedly rich bauxite mining deal on the border of eastern Kratie and Mondulkiri provinces is worth. BHP has already been awarded a petroleum exploration contract in Cambodia's relatively new and potentially lucrative offshore oil fields.
Members of the Cambodian delegation will meet with Australia's highest government officials as well as business leaders. They are scheduled to end their visit on October 14.
2 comments:
Welcome to Australia where money talks.
SiS
want 100% pure drug, you fine a right person to talk to Mr. Hun Sen.
thank you Australian!!!
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