DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodian, Thai legislators hail improving ties after border conflict calms down” plus 3 more

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian and Thai legislators on Friday praised improving relations between the two neighbors after the border row has calmed down since last July.

The admiration was made during a meeting between Cambodian President of National Assembly Heng Samrin and a group of visiting 6 Thai Senators led by Senator Phayab Thongchuen.

"The visit is to strengthen friendship relations and cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia," Phayab told reporters after the meeting. "We agreed that the situation along the border is much improving so far. Peoples of both sides go to and fro easily."

He said as it is only 3 years away towards the realization of an ASEAN Community, the peoples of Thailand and Cambodia should move closer to each other.

Meanwhile, Phayab extended an invitation letter of Thai Parliament President Somsak Kiatsuranont to Heng Samrin. The letter is to invite Heng Samrin to visit Thailand.

Speaking in the meeting, Heng Samrin said the delegation's visit would help double efforts in improving friendship relations and solidarity between the two countries.

It would also increase cooperation between the two legislative bodies, he added.

Heng Samrin said he would arrange an appropriate time to see Thailand at the invitation.

Cambodia and Thailand has border conflict just a week after the UNESCO approved Cambodia's bid to have the Preah Vihear temple named a World Heritage Site on July 07, 2008 and witnessed fierce clashes in February and April, 2011 during Thailand's Democrat Party rule.

Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple.

However, the military tensions have eased since the former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory in the general elections in last July.

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Road accidents had killed at least 1,518 people in Cambodia in the first nine months of this year, the report of the Interior Ministry's public order department showed on Friday.

The death number represented 3 percent rise from 1,469 deaths at the same period last year.

The report said that there had been 3,279 road accidents happened from January to September this year, a 15 percent decrease from 3,854 cases in the same period last year.

Besides the deaths, the accidents had injured other 5,645 people, down 14 percent from 6,595 people.

"Main causes of the accidents are over-speed driving, alcohol driving, and neglect driving," Preap Chan Vibol, director of the transport department at the Ministry of Public Work and Transport, told Xinhua over telephone.

Traffic accidents had claimed 1,890 human lives in the country last year, estimating to cost the country about 310 million U.S. dollars.

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Vespas, Italy-made motorbikes, are on sales in Cambodia again after more than four decades of absence.

Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh said that the Vespa was the country's most popular vehicles in the 1950s and was absent from the 1960s because of chronic wars. "Now, it comes back to Cambodia," he said during the opening of the first Vespa showroom here on Thursday evening."This reflects the country's full peace, security and stability as well as good environment for business."

He said that currently, the Italian scooter manufacturer Piaggio opened a producing plant in Vietnam, and Cambodia hopes that the company will also consider building a factory here in the future.

Addressing the event, Long Narith, chairman of Narita Group of Companies, which imports Vespa scooters to Cambodia, said that Vespa is the most iconic scooter in the world. "We are bringing them back to Cambodia after decades of absence, "he said.

The prices range from 2,800 U.S. dollars for a 125 cc scooter and more than 3,000 U.S. dollars for a 150 cc model.

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Three Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force ships will be visiting Cambodia from Oct. 6-10 in order to strengthen friendship relations between the two nations, according to a press release from Japanese Embassy to Cambodia on Thursday.

The ships, named Kashima, Shimayuka and Matsuyuki, are led by Rear Admiral Hidetoshi Fuchinoue, Commander of Japan Training Squadron, the press release said, adding that they will dock at Cambodia's Sihnoukville Autonomous Port on Oct. 6 on the way of their training cruise in the open sea.

"The objectives of the visit are to give opportunities for 194 cadet school graduates to learn about culture and military as well as to strengthen friendship with Cambodia through various exchange programs," it said.

During the stay in Cambodia, Rear Admiral Fuchinoue plans to visit Phnom Penh to pay courtesy calls on Minister of National Defense Tea Banh and Commander of Cambodian Royal Navy Tea Vinh on Oct. 8, it added.