Cambodia, Japan step up bilateral cooperation

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono. (Source: Reuters)

The consensus was reached by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono during their meeting in Phnom Penh on August 8.

Minister Taro Kono is on a visit to Cambodia on the occasion of the 60th founding anniversary of Cambodia-Japan diplomatic ties. 

Eang Sophallet, Assistant to PM Hun Sen, told the press that Minister Taro Kono stressed Tokyo will take more measures to help Cambodia become a high middle-income nation in 2030, with priority to be given to electricity, seaports, special economic zones and human resources. 

The minister also invited PM Hun Sen to attend the Japan-Mekong meeting which is scheduled to take place in Japan in the upcoming autumn. PM Hun Sen accepted the invitation. 

The PM expressed his thanks to the Japanese Government and people for their support to Cambodia since the two countries set up diplomatic ties, particularly since 1992. 

Following the meeting, Minister Toro Kono and Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhorn signed cooperation agreements, under which Japan will provide 5 million USD in non-refundable aid for Cambodia to help the country implement its socio-economic programme, along with a preferential loan worth about 86 million USD to carry out the second phase of a power project in Phnom Penh. 

Sok Eysan, spokesperson of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), on August 8 told the press that between 1992 and 2017, Japan granted over 3 billion USD in non-refundable aid and 1.3 billion USD in preferential loans to Cambodia./.

VNA