Phnom Penh,
September 22, 2011 (PRU) – Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Sok An told the British
Ambassador on Thursday that the Royal Government is pleased with the United
Kingdom’s support in the trial of Khmer Rouge leaders and in other fields.
“Everything
have been improving in our bilateral cooperation, from supporting health care
to the trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders” Dr. Sok An, Minister in Charge of the
Office of the Council of Ministers, told Ambassador Andrew Mace.
H.E Dr. Sok
An said that bilateral trade has improved and he hoped that there will be
continuing improvement.
More British
tourists are now visiting Cambodia, and the number has increased to 100,000 a
year, he said. “The more tourists there are from your country, the more
investors from the United Kingdom want to offer services for tourists,” Dr. Sok
An told Ambassador Mace.
Ending his
three-year term in Cambodia, Ambassador Mace said he is pleased with Cambodia’s
cooperation during his mission in the kingdom.
Dr. Sok An
looks forward to more cooperation with the United Kingdom for the continued
success of the trial of the Khmer Rouge leaders.
He said that
the Ambassador has witnessed the rocky relations between Cambodia and Thailand
over the last three years. The border situation is now much better than during
the previous Thai government under Abhisit Vejjajiva.
“The
relations between the Royal Government of Cambodia and Thai government are
better now,” Dr. Sok An said of the new Bangkok government led by Yingluck
Shinawatra. “Prime Minister Hun Sen will play football with the Red Shirt group
of Thailand in the next two days,” he said.
Mr. Mace,
who witnessed the achievements of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
(ECCC), said that his government would continue more support to the court. “The
Embassy will remain very active with the court,” he said.
Ambassador
Mace added that the U.K. government is looking forward to helping the RGC to
apply the legacies of the ECCC to the court system.
The outgoing
Ambassador said that he hoped the border situation at the Temple of Preah
Vihear will continue to improve and that Cambodia and Thailand will find a way
to settle their differences over the overlapping claims area in the Gulf of
Thailand, which is believed to have rich oil and gas deposits.
Dr. Sok An
said that Cambodia understands that the new Thai government will honor the
decision made by the International Court of Justice in July this year.
“Both sides
will honor and implement the Court’s orders,” the Deputy Prime Minister assured
the Ambassador.
Dr. Sok An
recalled the Court’s decision that both sides should pull out their troops from
the provisional demilitarized zone, which covers more than 17 square kilometers.
Cambodia, however, stressed that any military withdrawal must be witnessed by
independent military observers. “We will ask Indonesia to continue playing this
role,” he said.
Dr. Sok An
said that the Court’s order is “very clear, strong and in harmony with the
values of UNESCO” by allowing experts to assess damage sustained by the Temple
of Preah Vihear as the result of Thai bombardment.
Dr. Sok An
recalled that the Court said that Thailand should not obstruct Cambodia’s free
access to the Temple, and both parties should allow observers appointed by
ASEAN to have access to the provisional demilitarized zone. Both countries
should report to the court compliance or non-compliance.