Saturday, February 15, 2014

សេច​ក្តីជូន​ដំណឹង​របស់​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា ស្តីពី​​ការ​​កំ​ណត់​​ជួប​​ប្រជុំ​​គ្នា​​រវាង​​គណ​បក្ស​នយោបាយ​ទាំង​ពីរ នៅ​ថ្ងៃទី​១៨ ខែ​កុម្ភៈ ឆ្នាំ​២០១៤ វេលាម៉ោង ៩ព្រឹក នៅ​វិមាន​ព្រឹទ្ធសភា


Cambodia and India deepen cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism

PHNOM PENH, February 13, 2014– Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister HE Dr. Sok An and the Indian Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, HE Ravindra Singh, shared the view that the two countries need to improve cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism for mutual benefit.

His Excellency Dr. Sok An, Minister in Charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, encouraged Indian movie producers, through HE Ravindra Singh, particularly to shoot at Angkor’s many temples to attract more Indian tourists to Cambodia.“Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts would be keen to facilitate Indian movie shooting,” he told Ravindra Singh.

In response, HE Ravindra Singh said that, “your country will be loved by Indians.”

HE Dr. Sok An recalled recent big production movies in Cambodia, including US producer had produced Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and the French tiger film Two Brothers.

Angkor was first inscribed in the World Heritage Endangered List in 1992.

But in 2004, the temple was removed from the “in danger” portion of the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Heritage list thanks to the joint efforts by the Cambodian government and foreign support under the framework of the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC-Angkor), to protect, preserve and develop this vast cultural heritage site.

The Deputy Prime Minister also recalled Indian’s contribution to the rehabilitation of Ta Prohm temple. “Ta Prohm is one of the most popular temples attracting many tourists,” HE Dr. Sok An said.

India is now embarking on the restoration of another temple --Preah Khan Kompong Svay in the province of PreahVihear, which His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni visited last week.

“We  are happy to hand over Preah Khan Kompong Svay to India for restoration works,” said Dr. Sok An, also President of APSARA National Authority for Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap, through which the international community has undertaken its valuable work in Angkor since 1993. 

Both sides also said they are looking for the possibility of establishing direct flights between Cambodia and India that will also contribute to developing the tourism sector.

Cambodia received 4.2 million tourists last year, an annual increase of 15 percent. “Cambodia’s tourism is growing very fast,” HE Dr. Sok An said.

HE Ravindra Singh’s visit to Cambodia coincides with the Festival of India, Buddha Mahotsova, which will take place in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, which will illustrate the many parallels between the two countries in religion and culture.

Both sides expressed pleasure with their bilateral relations since the early 1980s when Dr. Sok An was appointed as Cambodia’s first ambassador to India, a time he fondly remembers. End.