DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodia's rubber exports up 12 pct, but revenues down 27 pct in 9 months” plus 7 more

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Monday reported a 12 percent rise in rubber latex exports in the first nine months of this year; however, revenues from the exports went down by 27 percent due to declining rubber prices in the international market.

The country exported 39,360 tons of rubber latex during January- September period this year, up 12 percent from 35,080 tons at the same period last year, a report from the Ministry of Commerce showed.

Revenues from the exports were 116 million U.S. dollars, down 27 percent from 160 million U.S. dollars, the report added.

According to International Rubber Price, the best quality rubber latex is sold at 3,038 U.S. dollars a ton on Monday, down 20 percent compared with 3,810 U.S. dollars a ton at this time last year.

Cambodia's rubber has been exported to Malaysia, Vietnam and China.

To date, the country has about 213,100 hectares of rubber plantations, most of them are too young to be yielded, according to a report from the Agriculture Ministry.

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Defense ministers from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN  ) will gather in Cambodia's Siem Reap province on Nov. 15-17 to exchange views on national defense and regional security issues, a press release from the Ministry of Defense said Monday.

ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Retreat is organized after the 6th ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) on May 28-30 in Phnom Penh, the press release said.

There will be a presentation by Cambodia about the country's initiative on the ASEAN Civil War Free Zone, and another presentation by Brunei on the first-ever multilateral military exercise under the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM- Plus) on the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and Military Medicine.

Lt. Gen. Nem Sowath, director general of the Cambodian Defense Ministry's Policy and Foreign Affairs Department, said in a press briefing on Monday that at the upcoming retreat, Cambodia will hand over the role as the chair of ADMM to Brunei's Defense Ministry, which will host such meeting in 2013.

Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups the ten members of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines  , Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta will make a one-day official visit to Cambodia on Nov. 16 in order to bolster military ties between the two countries, according to a press release from Cambodian Ministry of Defense on Monday.

During the visit, Panetta will hold bilateral talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Banh in Siem Reap province, the press release said, adding that the talks will focus on cooperation in the defense sector between Cambodia's Defense Ministry and the U.S. Department of Defense.

It said that both sides will discuss cooperation in military human resources development, search for the remains of U.S. soldiers missing in war time, and other issues.

"It will be the first time that Leon Panetta visits Cambodia to boost bilateral ties in military and security," Lt. Gen. Nem Sowath, director general of the Defense Ministry's Policy and Foreign Affairs Department, said in a press briefing on Monday.

He said that Panetta's visit to Cambodia will coincide with the ASEAN Defense Ministers Retreat to be held in Cambodia's Siem Reap province from Nov. 15-17, so there could be an informal consultation between the ASEAN Defense Ministers and Panetta.

YANGON, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Thein Sein left Nay Pyi Taw Sunday for Laos to attend the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Vientiane, said the President's Office.

Accompanying Thein Sein are Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin, Minister at the President's Office U Tin Naing Thein and Minister of Construction U Kyaw Lwin.

The theme of the ASEM is "Friends for Peace, Partners for Prosperity".

Leaders of Asia and Europe will discuss regional and international affairs, mutually beneficial cooperation, food ration, energy sufficiency, sustainable development, financial and economic crisis, climate change and future prospects.

U Thein Sein visited Vientiane in March as part of his tour to three ASEAN member nations -- Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

BEIJING, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will arrive in Vientiane Sunday to attend the Ninth Asia-Europe Meeting, slated for Nov. 5 to Nov. 6, and pay an official visit to the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

The following are some basic facts about Laos:

As a landlocked nation in Southeast Asia, Laos is surrounded by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar, covering an area of 236,800 square km. Its capital Vientiane serves as a center of politics, economy and culture.

The country has a population of some 6.26 million, and the most are Buddhists. Lao is the country's official language.

Agriculture serves as the pillar of the economy, while industry remains weak. In 1988, the Laotian government started to open up and adopted fresh measures to restructure its economy and attract foreign investment.

Though rich in minerals, the country has exploited only a fraction of the natural resources, including tin, gypsum, kalium, salt and coal. Laos also abounds in water resources. With around 11 million hectares of forests, 52 percent of its area is covered by trees.

Laos pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and friendship. It sticks to developing friendly ties with all other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

Laos attaches great importance to enhancing relations with its neighboring countries and improving its ties with the West, so as to build a sound external environment for domestic development.

China and Laos are close neighbors, which forged their diplomatic on April 25, 1961. Since then, the two nations have seen the steady growth of bilateral relations with mutual political trust being continuously enhanced.

From January to September of 2012, bilateral trade topped 1.2 billion U.S. dollars, up 38.6 percent year on year.

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, chair of ASEAN in 2012, left on Sunday morning for Laos' capital Vientiane to attend the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit (ASEM-9) to be held on Nov. 5-6.

Senior government officials accompanying the premier include Ho Sithy and Prak Sokhonn, ministers attached to the Prime Minister, Sok Chenda Sophea, secretary general of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, and Sok Siphanna, advisor to the Government, Srey Thamrong, a minister attached to the Prime Minister, told reporters at the Phnom Penh International Airport before departure.

The ASEM Summit is an international forum focused on Asia-Euro dialogue in the fields of security, economy, education and culture and environment, he said, adding that the ASEM-9 will be held under the theme: "Friends for Peace, Partners for Prosperity".

"The Summit is an important opportunity for Asia-Euro leaders to discuss regional and international issues, especially on food and energy security, sustainable development, economic and financial crisis, climate change, and natural disaster response," he said.

The Asia-Euro forum was established in 1996 in Bangkok, Thailand. At the start, there were only 26 member states. To date, the number of members has increased to 48 countries, he said, adding that the forthcoming ASEM-9 will welcome 3 new members including Bangladesh, Norway and Switzerland.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Summit will adopt the Vientiane declaration on strengthening partnership for peace and development and will issue a chairman's statement.

On the sidelines of the Summit, Hun Sen will hold separate bilateral talks with Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia, and Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan, the press release said.

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- The German airline Condor Air launched its first direct flight from Frankfurt to Cambodia's Siem Reap province famous for its world heritage site on Saturday morning.

Landing at the Siem Reap International Airport, the aircraft was cordially greeted by Cambodian government officials including Mao Havannall, secretary of state for civil aviation, and So Mara, secretary of state for tourism ministry.

According to the Cambodia Airports, the operator of Cambodia's international airports, Condor Air operated flights between Frankfurt and Siem Reap province with its B767-300 plane, which can be seated by 270 passengers. The plane will operate one flight a week to Siem Reap province.

Siem Reap, located some 315 kilometers northwest of Phnom Penh, houses the Angkor Wat temple, one of the world heritage sites; it is the country's largest tourism destination.

The Cambodia Airports said that besides Condor Air, Qatar Airways is also expected to start flight between Doha and Phnom Penh from February next year with its A330-300 plane, which can be seated by 305 passengers, and Lao Central Airlines is also due to operate daily flights between Vientiane and Phnom Penh with a B737- 400 aircraft, which can be seated by 168 passengers.

Currently, 25 airlines have been operating at the country's 2 international airports on a scheduled basis, it said.

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia recorded only 35 deaths from malaria during the first nine months of this year, a 42 percent decrease from 60 deaths at the same period last year, according to a report of the National Center for Malaria Control released here Saturday.

The report attributed the drop in the malaria death toll to awareness campaigns and the distribution of mosquito nets to the disease-prone groups of people. In August, the center began to distribute about 1.14 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets to groups of vulnerable people.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease. In Cambodia, the disease is often found in the rainy season and mostly happens in border provinces, and forest and mountainous provinces.

The country is committed to eradicating the death from malaria by 2015. To reach the goal, it needs a budget of 131 million U.S. dollars, according to the center.

In 2011, the disease killed 98 people in the country.