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Russia interested in development of ties with Cambodia — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on October 3 held talks with his Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhon

MOSCOW, October 3. /TASS/. Russia is interested in further development of relations with Cambodia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with Cambodia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Prak Sokhon, on Monday.

"Last time we met at the Russia-ASEAN summit in Sochi. Over the past couple of years our contacts were intensive from the standpoint of bilateral dialogue. Sochi saw a meeting of the Russian president and the Cambodian prime minister," Lavrov recalled.

"Important agreements were achieved and today there is a good occasion for taking a look at how they are being translated into reality. The current visit will allow for considering in detail the way they are being implemented and for exchanging opinion of the situation in the international scene and of regional affairs," Lavrov said.

"We attach greater significance to cooperation in the economic sphere," Lavrov said. "There is a range of very promising projects and we have confirmed our mutual readiness to implement them."

He said that co-chairs of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, Prak Sokhon and Russian Minister of Communications Nikolai Nikiforov, will have a meeting on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the commission’s next meeting in 2017.

The Russian top diplomat noted that today’s talks were constructive and embraced all aspects of bilateral cooperation. "We focused on the implementation of agreements reached during Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s visit to Russia in May 2016 and his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, as well as last year’s agreements that were signed during the Russian prime minister’s visit to Cambodia," he said. "We agreed that we have very good prospects for developing our political dialogue, expanding inter-parliamentary ties, cultural, humanitarian and educational exchanges."

What makes bilateral relations especially significant is that in May 2016 the two countries marked the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

"We appreciate long-standing friendly relations. Russia is interested in their comprehensive development," Lavrov said.

"Our countries are interested in enhancing coordination on the international arena, first of all, within the United Nations, and in key multilateral formats in the Asia Pacific," the Russian minister stressed. "We are thankful to the Cambodian partners for support and their weighty contribution to the preparations for the jubilee Russia-ASEAN summit in Sochi this May."

Russian-ASEAN cooperation

Lavrov and Sokhon discussed regional and international issues, including Russian-ASEAN cooperation.

"We exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues, our positions are very close," Cambodia’s top diplomat told a press conference after the meeting. "Both parties have paid attention to the dialogue between Russian and ASEAN."

Prak Sokhon noted that both counties sought to fully and effectively implement their obligations made this past May in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi at the Russia-ASEAN summit.

"Cambodia will be happy to host the Russia-ASEAN youth summit," the diplomat noted thanking Russia for its assistance in the development of Cambodia.