Phnom Penh: India today expressed its
willingness to cooperate with Cambodia in infrastructural
projects and conservation of historical monuments along with
human resource development and capacity building.
"While human resource development and capacity
building have been the primary focus of our bilateral
relations, India is extremely happy to cooperate with Cambodia
in infrastructural projects, as well as in projects related to
conservation and preservation of historical monuments,"
President Pratibha Patil said.
She was speaking at a reception given by the Indian
community here in her honour.
Patil, who arrived here on a six-day state visit,
appreciated the role played by the Cambodian government in
facilitating India`s engagement with the Association of South
East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
"It is worth mentioning that India attained Summit
level partnership with ASEAN under Cambodia`s chairmanship of
the ASEAN in 2002," she said.
Under Cambodia`s ASEAN chairmanship in 2012, a
commemorative summit in India will be organised to mark the
country`s 20-year association with the regional body, she
said.
Expressing "extreme satisfaction" with India`s
friendly and cooperative ties with Cambodia, Patil said New
Delhi would continue to work for strengthening of these ties.
Bilateral relations between the two countries, first
established by independent India during 1950s, were renewed in
1981 after the end of Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.
The President also asked the Indian diaspora here to
be the bridge between the two countries to access knowledge,
expertise, resources and markets for the development of the
country of their origin.
Patil arrived here as part of the second leg of her
visit to two ASEAN countries -- Laos and Cambodia.
-PTI
