DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “GMS ministers meet in Cambodia to finalize 3rd decade economic co-op roadmap” plus 5 more

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Ministers of the six Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries gathered here on Thursday to finalize the new GMS Strategic Framework for 2012-2022 ahead of submitting it to their leaders for endorsement in December this year.

The 3rd decade GMS strategic framework would continue its focus on physical infrastructure investments, and also widen and deepen economic corridor development activities, effective trade and transport facilitation, human resource development, protection of shared environmental resources and solicit involvement among the private sector and development partners to address the issues and requirements of the GMS program, Cambodian Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh said at the opening session of the 17th GMS Ministerial Conference.

"The strategy would guide us in the next decade of economic cooperation among the GMS countries," he said.

The GMS program established in 1992 with the support of Asian Development Bank, it has nine priority sectors of cooperation: agriculture, energy, environment, human resource development, investment, telecommunications, tourism, transport infrastructure, and transport and trade facilitation.

"In the last two decades of cooperation, we have achieved a great success, but much work remains to be done in the new decade to ensure that we are advancing the GMS economic cooperation program towards its full potential," he said.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Zhang Shaochun, Vice- Minister of the China's Finance Ministry, said in the past two decades, the GMS cooperation was constantly making headways and harvests, contributing greatly to poverty reduction and economic and social development in the sub-region.

"The new GMS Strategic Framework will be a sound guidance for future GMS cooperation," he said. "We feel confident about the next ten-year of GMS cooperation."

PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia will spend 1.5 million U.S. dollars on hosting the 32nd General Assembly of ASEAN Inter- Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), which will run from Sept. 18-24, said a Cambodian parliamentarian on Tuesday.

Cheam Yeap, chairman of the Commission on Economy, Finance, Banking and Audit of Cambodian National Assembly, said that the country has deployed more than 3,000 security forces to ensure order during the summit.

According to the draft agenda, the upcoming AIPA will adopt a variety of documents on political, economic, social and women affairs, rights of migrant workers, and drug fighting in order to build stronger cooperation and relations among the ASEAN member countries.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 3 -- Cambodian former King Norodom Sihanouk and his wife Norodom Monineath Sihanouk left here on Wednesday morning for Beijing, China for routine medical checkup after their nearly four-month stay in Cambodia.

At the Phnom Penh International Airport, the royal couple were seen off by their son King Norodom Sihamoni, Senate President Chea Sim, National Assembly President Heng Samrin, Prime Minister Hun Sen, other government officials, royal family members and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Pan Guangxue.

The former King Norodom Sihanouk, 89, has suffered from various forms of cancer since 1993.

Prince Sisowath Sereyrath, advisor to King Norodom Sihamoni, said the retired king has his health checked up routinely in China.

"With high attention from Chinese doctors, the ex-king is still looking healthy even though he's 89 of age and suffering from cancer," he told reporters at the airport.

The couple arrived in Cambodia on April 6 to celebrate the Khmer New Year with Cambodian people.​ (Xinhua)