Japanese PM arrives in Cambodia for official visit to boost ties

November 16, 2013 ,

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gestures as he delivers a speech at a seminar in Tokyo. Photo - Reuters

Xinhua | 2013-11-16 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived here on Saturday afternoon for an official visit to further promote Japan-Cambodia ties and cooperation. Read: Human rights group calls on Abe to urge Hun Sen to respect human rights and democracy.

At the capital's airport, he was greeted by Cambodian information minister Khieu Kanharith and other dignitaries.

Abe's visit to Cambodia came at the invitation of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. During the stay, he will hold a talk with Hun Sen and then, the two premiers will officiate at the signing ceremony of two documents, the Cambodian foreign ministry said in a press statement on Thursday.

One is an agreement between the two governments regarding cooperation on education and training in the area of United Nations peacekeeping operations, and the other is a memorandum of cooperation on health between the two countries' health ministries.

Abe will also pay a courtesy call on Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni.

Ros Chantrabot, advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen, said it was the first Abe's visit to Cambodia in order to further strengthen and expand bilateral ties and cooperation.

"Cambodia and Japan are close friends. Abe's visit will further deepen relations and cooperation in all fields between the two countries," he told Xinhua.

Japan is the second largest provider of grants and loans to Cambodia after China. According to the Cambodian government's reports, Japan has provided around $2 billion to Cambodia as of last year for social infrastructure development.

However, bilateral trade and investment relations are still at low levels.

The bilateral trade volume was valued at $591 million in the first nine months of 2013, up 25 percent over the same period last year, the Japan External Trade Organization said.

Only $300 million of Japanese investments have flowed into Cambodia in banking, manufacturing industries and shopping mall development in the last three years.

Cambodia is the first leg of Abe's trips to two Southeast Asian nations, which will also take him to Laos on Sunday.

With the trip to Cambodia and Laos, Abe will have completed his visit to all 10-member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in less than a year since he took office last December.