Hang Puthea: Lack of cooperation between HRP and SRP will be a mutual loss for both parties

Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy union will be difficult

Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Nguon Nhel, first CPP vice-president of the National Assembly, said that the SRP and HRP would be difficult bedfellows. Nguon Nhel told The Cambodia Daily that Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy do not get along. He said that these two parties cannot form a strong opposition party against the CPP. Hang Puthea, Nicfec director, also expressed doubts on the cooperation between Keom Sokha and Sam Rainsy. He said that the lack of cooperation between the two parties will be a mutual loss for both parties. He told The Cambodia Daily that the lack of cooperation between the two parties will benefit the CPP. He said that the CPP will again be the leading party.

Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam to cooperate in civil aviation

YANGON, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A senior civil aviation officials meeting of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) is underway here to seek enhanced cooperation among the four to develop air transport in the sub-region.

Implementation of agreement on air transport of the CLMV countries is being finalized at the two-day meeting of directors-general of civil aviation cooperation of CLMV which began on Tuesday, according to the Civil Aviation Department of the Ministry of Transport which organized the meeting.

Under a multilateral agreement reached in Phnom Penh in April 2005, the CLMV countries are to seek promotion of air travel and cargo as well as tourism services among the four latest members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The multilateral agreement provides for airlines in the CLMV countries to use designated airports in each country and imposes no limit on the number of passengers on flights.

According to earlier reports, Myanmar has reportedly initially set Yangon and Mandalay international airports in the list, while Vietnam nominated seven including those at Hanoi, Ho Chi Ming City and Da Nang, Laos three including those at Vientiane and Luang Prabang, and Cambodia one which is Phnom Penh.

The agreement was first proposed at a meeting in Phnom Penh in 2001 and Myanmar signed bilateral air transport accords with Laos in 1991, with Cambodia in 1995 and with Vietnam in 1996.

So far, there are regular flights to Yangon operated by airlines from three other ASEAN member countries -- Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways, Thai Air Asia, Phuket Airlines, Silk Air (Singapore) and Malaysian Airline System -- among 14 foreign air carriers that fly Myanmar.

Meanwhile, Myanmar and the Philippines have been exploring enhanced cooperation in the air sector, negotiating since a few years ago to work out an air services agreement between them, according to air industry sources.

The last CLMV senior aviation officials meeting was held in March 2006 in Vientiane, Laos.

Mekong agriculture ministers to discuss food security issues

10-04-2007
VNS

BEIJING — Agriculture ministers of six Greater Mekong sub-region countries met in Beijing yesterday for the first time to discuss a far-reaching programme in agricultural co-operation.

The six ministers of Cambodia, China’s Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam have since 1992 been working together under the GMS Economic Co-operation Programme initiated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The programme has helped create transport corridors among the six countries, enabling faster trade of goods, and increased economic growth.

Urooj Malik, director of ADB’s Southeast Asia Department, said that agriculture must aim toward a more prosperous yet socially equitable sector, in which the full benefits of the "new agriculture" are shared by the poor.

Changes in the area have resulted in a range of new issues for the countries to address such as the possible effects on national and subregional food security on the rural poor because of the switch from food to bio-energy crops.

New animal and crop disease risks are becoming prominent, especially with the recent outbreaks of avian influenza in some countries of the subregion.

To deal with these issues, the countries must increase their capacities in science and technology as well as create new policies and regulations and food safety standards, the ADB said.

Over the past few years, an advisory body to the subregion’s agriculture ministers, the Working Group on Agriculture, has co-ordinated with a variety of stakeholders to create the Core Agriculture Support Programme.

These stakeholders include government and donor agencies as well as international and regional research and development organisations, non-government organisations and civil society.

The programme focuses on cross-border issues to encourage cross-border trade and investment in agriculture while contributing to food security and poverty reduction and ensuring the protection of the environment and sustainable use of natural resources.

Included also are the use of advanced agricultural science and technology in biosafety and biotechnology areas, policy and investment co-operation in biofuels and rural renewable energy, and the establishment of emergency response systems for agriculture-related crises.

The ministers’ meeting was preceded by a meeting on Sunday of senior agriculture officials from the six countries to finalise the framework for the cooperation programme agreement.

Australian Senate president promises more cooperation with Cambodia

Sam Rainsy, opposition leader, met with Paul Calvert, President of the Australian Senate, during the latter's visit in Phnom Penh (Photo: SRP)

February 22, 2007

Australian Senate President Paul Calvert has promised to carry out more cooperation with and extending more aid to Cambodia during his recent visit here, reported official news agency AKP on Wednesday.

While meeting with Calvert here on Monday, King Norodom Sihamoni said his visit will further strengthen and consolidate the bonds of relationship and cooperation in all fields between the two countries.

He also thanked Australia for playing an active role in helping Cambodia seek for peace and granting aids for country's development in all sectors, particularly agriculture, health care, human resources and legal affairs.

While separately meeting with Senate President Chea Sim and National Assembly President Heng Samrin here on Monday, Calvert said that the Australian Senate will further support and provide more assistance, especially human resources training, for Cambodian Senate officials.

He also highly valued the government's and the legislative bodies' achievements in the rehabilitation and economic development of the kingdom.

While meeting with Calvert here on Monday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that Cambodia and Australia should further push forward their cooperation.

"At this moment, our cooperation is better (than before), especially in fighting terrorism, drug and human trafficking, and intelligence information exchanges, but we should further promote it," he said.

Calvert was here on an official visit. Detailed schedule of his visit has not been disclosed.

Source: Xinhua