Spanish queen arrives in Cambodia

Tue, 19 Feb 2008
DPA

Phnom Penh - Queen Sophia of Spain arrived in Cambodia Tuesday for a five-day visit at the invitation of Cambodian monarch, King Norodom Sihamoni. The wife of King Juan Carlos will visit a number of Spanish-funding humanitarian projects during her stay, including an anti-human trafficking organization, and a demining project, according to a schedule obtained from a palace source.

She is also scheduled to attend a gala dinner with King Sihamoni on Wednesday as well as visiting the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex in the northern province of Siem Reap before flying out Saturday.

Queen Sophia had scheduled a visit to Cambodia last year but returned home minutes after landing at the airport due to a family bereavement.

Cambodia seeks UNSC non-permanent membership when it can't even feed its people nor defend its borders

February 10, 2007
Cambodia seeks support from Spain for UNSC non-permanent membership

Cambodian has tried to secure support from Spain for its application for non-permanent membership of the Security Council of the United Nations from 2013 to 2014, an official told Xinhua on Friday.

The Cambodian deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Hor Nam Hong, expressed this desire to Spanish Deputy Foreign Minister Leire Pajin Iraola, who arrived here on Thursday on a two-day visit, said Ros Simara, head of the information department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Iraola promised to report this issue to the minister, he said.

Cambodia has not assumed any major posts in the United Nations for a long time and now it hopes to apply for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council from 2013 to 2014, he added.

Meanwhile, Ros Simara confirmed that Spain will open its embassy in Cambodia in 2008.

Hor Nam Hong has asked the Spanish side to open the embassy as soon as possible in order to make it easy for both countries to cooperate on bilateral issues, he added.

In addition, said Ros Simara, the deputy foreign minister apologized for canceling the official visit of Queen Sofia of Spain to Cambodia, originally scheduled for Feb. 8, because one of her relatives died of road accident.

The queen will realize her visit to Cambodia in an appropriate time in the future, he added.

Source: Xinhua

Spain pledges 500,000-euro donation to Cambodia

February 09, 2007

The Spanish government on Thursday announced a 500,000-euro donation to Cambodia through the World Food Program.

The pledge came after a warning was issued in late January that the Southeast Asian nation's most vulnerable citizens were running out of food.

Leire Pajin, Spanish secretary of state for international cooperation, is currently visiting Cambodia, and inspecting Spanish-aid projects there.

It is estimated that up to 14,000 Cambodians will benefit from the Spanish donation, which could distribute 1,359 tons of rice and 68 tons of other staples.

Source: Xinhua

Spain's Queen Sophia cancels her visit to the pseudo-democratic-monarchist Cambodia

February 8th 2007
Spanish Queen Cancels Cambodian Visit

DPA

Sources close to the Cambodian palace said condolences were being sent to Queen Sophia of Spain after her scheduled arrival Thursday was postponed due to a family bereavement.

Queen Sophia was due to arrive Thursday at the personal invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni and tour the northern temple complex of Angkor Wat as well as visiting Spanish aid projects in the country.

However sources said a death in her close family had forced the monarch to reschedule to a date yet to be determined.