Roads to protect Angkor from fires (sic!)

12 Mar 2010
The Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Seventeen new roads will provide quick access to Cambodia's Angkor complex in case of fires at the ancient temples, officials said Friday.

The roads will alleviate fears of damage to the country's greatest artistic treasure, especially during the dry season when blazes often break out, said Tan Sambu, an official of the Apsara Authority, the government agency that oversees the temples.

Tourism is a major source of foreign currency for cash-strapped Cambodia, which hosts nearly 1.5 million foreign tourists each year, mostly from South Korea, Japan and the United States. More than half of the tourists visit Angkor, a UNESCO World Heritage site in northwestern Siem Reap province.

The temples were built when Angkorian kings ruled over much of Southeast Asia between the ninth and 14th centuries.

Earlier this month, South Korea provided $9.2 million to build a new road that will circle the temple complex and reduce traffic in the area.A

Korea to Loan $200 Mil. to Cambodia [-Are you ready to pay the loan back?]

President Lee Myung-bak, left, is welcomed by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday. Lee pledged that South Korea will provide a total of $200 million in loans to the nation over the next four years to help its economic development. (Korea Times photo by Sohn Yong-seok)

10-22-2009
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
Korea Times

President Lee Myung-bak pledged Thursday that South Korea will provide a total of $200 million in loans to Cambodia over the next four years to help its economic development.

He also said Korea will represent the interests of developing Asian countries at global forums, including the G-20 Summit, which Korea is set to host next November, for balanced global growth.

Lee made the promises during an interview with Cambodia's largest-circulation newspaper, the Rasmei Kampuchea, last week in Seoul.

Lee arrived in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, the second stop on his three-nation, six-day Southeast Asian trip, from Vietnam.

Upon arrival, Lee visited Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni for talks on bilateral economic cooperation. In the afternoon, he held a summit with Prime Minister Hun Sen on increasing economic and cultural exchanges.

"President Lee and King Sihamoni agreed to expand cooperation on various fields, including the agricultural and cultural sectors," Cheong Wa Dae said.

"Underlying the rapid development of Korea-Cambodia relations since the normalization of their ties in 1997, Lee hoped there will be stronger bilateral cooperation."

During his meeting with Hun Sen, Lee asked for the support of Korean firms seeking to participate in Cambodia's infrastructure development projects.

Lee also asked him to play a role in strengthening ties between Korea and ASEAN - a 10-member economic bloc including Cambodia.

On the sidelines of the summit, the two governments signed an agreement, which will provide South Korean firms with 200,000 hectares of land - almost the same land area as Jeju Island - for forest plantation.

Seoul has increased its Economic Development Cooperation Fund to finance economic development programs in poor countries.

SKorean president visits Cambodia to boost ties

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (R) talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak

Thursday, October 22, 2009
AFP

Lee also promised South Korea would provide 200 million dollars in soft loans to Cambodia between 2009 and 2013

PHNOM PENH — South Korean president Lee Myung-bak arrived in Cambodia Thursday for a two-day official visit to boost ties and develop economic relations between the two countries.

Lee descended from his airplane to a red carpet at Phnom Penh International Airport, and then received an audience with King Norodom Sihamoni at the capital's royal palace and held talks with premier Hun Sen later in the day.

"Cooperation and relations between Cambodia and South Korea have been growing through many projects," Hun Sen said.

During their meeting, Lee and Hun Sen agreed to form a "strategic and cooperative partnership" between their countries, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters.

Lee also promised South Korea would provide 200 million dollars in soft loans to Cambodia between 2009 and 2013, Hor Namhong said.

In the lunchtime speech distributed to reporters, the South Korean president promised to help develop Cambodia's agricultural sector by providing new technology and training.

Over 500 South Korean companies were currently investing in Cambodia, Lee added.

The two countries also signed an extradition agreement and a deal for an initiative in which Cambodia would issue South Korean tourists multiple entry year-long visas, officials said.

"The visit by the South Korean president is very important. It will boost economic relations between the two countries," government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told reporters.

The Yonhap news agency has reported that South Korean investment in Cambodia increased to nearly 2.5 billion dollars last year from 30 million dollars in 1997.

S. Korean president begins visit to Cambodia

By Byun Duk-kun

"An agreement will also be signed later Thursday on Cambodia's provision of 200,000 hectares of land, over 10 times the size of Washington D.C., for forest plantation by South Korea."

KI-Media Note: Such land agreement is against the Cambodian constitution as it exceeds the 10,000 hectares maximum

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak began a two-day trip to Cambodia with a visit to Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni shortly after his arrival here Thursday.

Lee was set for a bilateral summit with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen later in the day.

"President Lee and King Sihamoni discussed ways to expand cooperation between their countries in various areas, including the agricultural and cultural sectors, while the president noted the development of their relationship since the normalization of their ties in 1997," Lee's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.

Lee's trip here comes as part of a three-nation tour that earlier took him to Vietnam. He will head to Thailand on Friday for a regional summit hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that will also involve the leaders of Japan and China.

The trip was expected to help significantly improve Seoul's relations with Phnom Penh as the sides were set to sign an extradition treaty and a revision to the basic agreement on South Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).

Seoul agreed in June to provide US$60 million in loans from its development fund in a summit between Lee and the Cambodian prime minister held in Seoul.

The revision to the EDCF agreement, to be signed on the sidelines of the Lee-Hun Sen summit, will lead to the provision of an additional $140 million by 2012, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye.

"As we face a great opportunity to further improve our countries' relationship this year through an exchange of visits with Prime Minister Hun Sen, I hope the countries will hold discussions on various measures for their joint development during my visit this time," Lee said in an interview with Cambodia's largest-circulation daily Rasmei Campuchea published Thursday.

South Korean investment in Cambodia increased 75 times to nearly $2.5 billion last year since their diplomatic normalization in 1997. Seoul had severed its ties with Cambodia in 1975 when the communist Khmer Rouge government took control.

Seoul has agreed to launch a joint development project for Phnom Penh, through which it will help set up "master plans" for the development of Cambodia while sharing its own development experience with the country, according to the Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman.

An agreement will also be signed later Thursday on Cambodia's provision of 200,000 hectares of land, over 10 times the size of Washington D.C., for forest plantation by South Korea.

"Considering the complementary nature of their economies and the enactment of a free trade agreement between South Korea and ASEAN, as well as Cambodia's rapid economic growth, the cooperation between the countries will continue to show remarkable growth," Lee said in the interview with Rasmei Campuchea, held in Seoul before starting his trip.

The signing of the extradition treaty, to apply to those suspected of crimes punishable by two or more years of imprisonment, will help improve South Korea's image here, spokeswoman Kim said.

"It will also help protect the citizens and South Korean residents in Cambodia by making sure that Southeast Asia will no longer be the safe haven of criminals," she said.

SKorean president visits Cambodia to boost ties

PHNOM PENH, Oct 22 (AFP) - South Korean president Lee Myung-bak arrived in Cambodia Thursday for a two-day official visit to boost ties and develop economic relations between the two countries.

Lee descended from his airplane to a red carpet at Phnom Penh International Airport, and then received an audience with King Norodom Sihamoni at the capital's royal palace before talks with premier Hun Sen later in the day.

Lee and Hun Sen will witness the signing of an extradition agreement and a loan package from Seoul, Cambodia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The visit by the South Korean president is very important. It will boost economic relations between the two countries to a high level," government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told reporters.

South Korea is one of the largest foreign investors in Cambodia, mainly in real estate and construction, he said.

The Yonhap news agency has reported that South Korean investment in Cambodia increased to nearly 2.5 billion dollars last year from 30 million dollars in 1997.

Lee and Hun Sen are also scheduled to visit Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temples in the country's northwest on Friday before leaving for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Thailand.

ADB, S.Korea Support Cambodia to Improve Cross-Border Road Links

2009-08-25
Xinhua

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Republic of Korea are supporting road and border improvements in Cambodia to help reduce poverty, increase economic opportunities, and boost ongoing efforts to strengthen trade and tourism in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), a press release issued by ADB on Tuesday said.

ADB's Board of Directors approved a loan equivalent to 16.3 million U.S. dollars for the project which will rehabilitate 113 kilometers of a national road in the northwest of the country, and upgrade a cross-border facility with Thailand. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance of Korea is extending a loan equivalent to 25. 6 million U.S. dollars through its Economic Development and Cooperation Fund (EDCF).

The pot-holed gravel road, that is impassable in the wet season due to flooding, cuts through two of the poorest provinces in the country -- Banteay Meanchey and Oddar Meanchey. It links up with another major route which is a key conduit for goods and people between northwest Cambodia and northeast Thailand, and also forms a feeder connection to the GMS east-west corridor.

Roads are the lifeblood of transport in the GMS but poor surfaces raise costs, cause lost economic opportunities and contribute to high accident rates. The upgraded road and border facility will reduce travel times, improve traffic safety, increase access to markets, and provide new job and business opportunities. It will be another step to strengthen connectivity and develop economic corridors across the GMS -- a bloc of six nations committed to closer ties that support sustainable growth, boost employment and reduce poverty.

"The project will support the GMS strategy by improving connectivity between Thailand and Cambodia, thereby enhancing subregional transport and trade," said Shihiru Date, transport specialist in ADB's Southeast Asia Department.

The improved facilities are expected to aid cross-border tourism as the restored road connects to a key east-west route to Siem Reap site of the world famous Angkor Wat temple. Opportunities for contract farmers, who cultivate high-value fruit for export to neighboring countries should also expand, while the all-weather surface will improve access to health and education facilities. The project will include an HIV prevention and anti- human trafficking program, as new cross-border roads represent a potential threat for the spread of communicable diseases, and the trafficking of women and children.

ADB's loan, from its concessional Asian Development Fund, comprises 34 percent of the total project cost. It has a 32-year term with an eight year grace period carrying a one percent interest charge, and 1.5 percent for the balance. The Government of Cambodia will contribute counterpart funds of six million U.S. dollars, while the Ministry of Public Works and Transport will be the executing agency.

The estimated completion date for the project is December 2013.