DPRK visits Cambodia to start economic ties

    PHNOM PENH, July 26 (Xinhua) -- A trade delegation of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) led by Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Myong San on Tuesday started a visit in Cambodia in order to commence trade and investment ties with this country.

   During a meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, on Tuesday, Ri Myong San said the visit was to find possibility to start economic relations with Cambodia, especially on the development of agriculture, trade and investment.

   Meanwhile, Hor Namhong said that Cambodia welcomed DPRK in starting trade ties with Cambodia for mutual interests of the two countries’ peoples.

   Ouch Borith, a secretary of state for the ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation, told reporters after the meeting that the DPRK delegation would hold the first-ever Cambodia and DPRK Joint Committee meeting on July 27 in order to discuss and explore trade and investment opportunities between the two nations.

   “It will be the first meeting since the two countries signed the agreement in 1993 to establish the Cambodia-DPRK Joint Committee,” he said. “So far, the trade exchange between Cambodia and DPRK is zero.”

   According to the trade statistics from the Ministry of Commerce, there is no any record of trade transaction between the two countries.

   On the investment side, earlier this year, the DPRK’s Mansudae New Tech Corporation has invested 17 million U.S. dollars to build an e-museum in Siem Reap province, according to the figure from the Council for the Development of Cambodia.  

Cambodia receives 1.38 million foreign visitors in last 6 months, 13 percent rise

PHNOM PENH, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The international visitors to Cambodia had increased by 13 percent to 1.38 million in the  first half of this year from 1.22 million during the same period last year, showed the statistics released by the Ministry of Tourism  on Monday; however, Thai tourists to the nation declined 57 percent due to border conflict.
  Of the number,  about 52 percent, or 714,373 visitors, traveled to Cambodia by air and the rest by land and water.
  Among the top ten market arrivals to Cambodia in the period from January to June this year, Vietnamese tourists rated first  with 289,736, up 18 percent, South Korea ranked second with 172,568, up 20 percent and China at third with 113,775, up 35  percent.
  Meanwhile, it recorded that Thailand had dropped out of the list of top ten countries with most tourists to Cambodia.
  During the first half of this year, only 48,136 Thais had visited Cambodia, 57 percent decline due to the twice deadly armed  clashes over the disputed border areas between the two neighboring nations' troops on February 4 to 7 and on April 22 to May 3.
  Tourism industry is one of the main four pillars supporting Cambodian economy. In 2010, the sector received 2.5 million  foreign tourists generating the total revenue of 1.75 billion U.S. dollars.

Cambodia condemns mad acts of terror in Norway

PHNOM PENH, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian government on Monday condemned mad acts of terror last weekend in  Norway that claimed nearly 100 lives.
  In a letter, Hor Namhong, Cambodia’s deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, said  “Cambodia also joints the world in strongly condemning such deplorable and mad acts of terror.”
  The letter addressed to Jonas Gahr STOR, minister f foreign affairs of Norway, Hor Namhong said “I am extremely shocked by  the barbaric bomb attack on your Government building in Oslo and the massacre of many innocent youths on the island of Utoya,  last weekend.”
  “On this very sorrowful moment, on behalf of the royal Government and the people of Cambodia, allow me to convey through  Your Excellency to the people of Norway, particularly the bereaved families, my deepest sympathy and profound condolences  for the tragic loss of many lives in these acts of cruelty,” he said.
  Anders Behring Breivik, 32, has been charged with the shooting and a bomb explosion on the government building on Friday in  Oslo that claimed seven lives, in addition to his alleged shooting of many innocent youths on the island of Utoya, some 40  kilometers from Oslo.

Cambodia’s total trades hit 5.46 billion USD in last 6 months, up 49 pct

PHNOM PENH, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia’s import and export trades had mounted 5.46 billion U.S. dollars in the first half  of this year, 49 percent rise from 3.67 billion U.S. dollars in the same period a year ago, showed the statistics from the Ministry of  Commerce on Monday.
  From January to June this year, the country had imported goods in the total value of 3.24 billion U.S. dollars, up 48 percent  from 2.18 billion U.S. dollars in the same period last year.
  The main imported products were garment and textile raw materials of 1.22 billion U.S. dollars, up 19.6 percent; petroleum of  692 million U.S. dollars, up 133 percent; construction materials of 352 million U.S. dollars, up 278 percent; automobiles and  motorcycles of 179 million U.S. dollars, up 57 percent; food and soft drinks of 73 million U.S. dollars, up 28 percent; and  pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, chemical substances and miscellaneous items of 724 million U.S. dollars, up 21 percent.
  On the export side, the figure showed that the country had exported products in total amount of 2.22 billion U.S. dollars, up 49  percent from 1.49 billion U.S. dollars.
  The main products this country exported included garment and textile in equivalent to 1.93 billion U.S. dollars, up 46 percent;  rubber latex of 102 million U.S. dollars, up 240 percent; rice of 45 million U.S. dollars, up 71 percent; and the rest amount was  the products of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
  The main foreign trade partners with Cambodia are the United States, European countries, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and  Canada.

Cambodia’s garment sector earns revenues of 1.85 bln USD in H1, 32 pct rise

PHNOM PENH, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia’s garment exports have seen 32 percent increase in the first half of this year, compared to the same period last year, showed the statistics from the Ministry of Commerce on Monday.
  From January to June this year, the country has exported garments in the total value of 1.85 billion U.S. dollars, up 32 percent from 1.4 billion U.S. dollars in the same period last year.
  Of the amount, the exports to the United States worth 960 million U.S. dollars, a 18 percent rise from 815 million U.S. dollars at the same period last year; and the exports to European countries rose by 54 percent to 532 million U.S. dollars from 345 million U.S. dollars.
  Also, the exports to Canada, Japan, South Korea, and China rose by 44 percent to 366 million U.S. dollars from 254 million U.S. dollars.
 Garment industry represented more than 90 percent of Cambodia’s total exports. The sector has 262 garment factories employing 319,313 workers and 36 foot-wears factories with 56,643 workers.
  Last year, the country had exported a total worth of 3.4 billion U.S. dollars of garments and foot-wear products, up 27 percent from 2.67 billion U.S. dollars in a year earlier.

Phnom Penh city makes alliance with 11 cities in China, Vietnam, South Korea and Laos

 PHNOM PENH, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, has signed mutual friendship and cooperation  agreements with 11 cities in China, Vietnam, South Korea and Laos during the last seven years, said a statement from Phnom  Penh Municipality on Monday.
  Among the 11 cities, four cities are China’s Kunming and Changsha signed in June 2011, Shanghai and Tianjin signed in  October and November 2008 respectively.
  And four Vietnam’s cities include Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh signed in March and October 2004 respectively, Can Tho and Lam  Dong in 2006 and 2008 respectively.
  The other two South Korea’s cities are Inchoen in September 2008 and Busan in June, 2009, and Laos’s Vientiane in October  2006.
  Through the agreements, Phnom Penh and those cities have built mutual friendship and cooperation on sectors including  economics, trade, science, technology, education, culture, agriculture, tourism, health and human resources, said the statement.

Cambodia, China trade rises to over 900 mln USD in 1st half: gov’t data

PHNOM PENH, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Bilateral trade between Cambodia and China increased by 82 percent in the first half of  this year, compared to the same period a year ago, showed the statistics from the Commerce Ministry on Monday.
  The two countries’ total trade volume has jumped to 912.76 million U.S. dollars in the period from January to June this year, up  82 percent from 501 million U.S. dollars in the same period last year, recorded the statistics.
  Of the figure, Cambodia’s exports to China worth 66.31 million U.S. dollars, increased 275 percent from 17.68 million U.S.  dollars, and Cambodia’s imports from China reached 846.45 million U.S. dollars, up 75 percent from 483.37 million U.S. dollars.
  Cambodia’s main imports from China were garment raw materials, machinery, foodstuffs, electronics, furniture, light products,  medicines and cosmetics.
  Cambodia’s main exports to China were agricultural products, rubbers, fishery, timbers, and some garments and textiles.
  The two countries' trade value was 1.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2010, and both governments pledged to boost it to 2.5 billion U.S.  dollars in 2012.