DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodia on track to eliminate HIV transmission by 2020: health experts” plus 7 more

DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodia on track to eliminate HIV transmission by 2020: health experts” plus 7 more

Cambodia on track to eliminate HIV transmission by 2020: health experts

Posted: 10 May 2013 12:38 AM PDT

PHNOM PENH, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia is moving towards an AIDS-free generation and is one of the few countries globally that have successfully reversed its HIV epidemic from a peak of an estimated HIV prevalence at 1.7 percent in 1998 to 0.7 percent in 2012 among the general population, the National HIV Health Sector Program Review revealed on Friday.

The estimated number of new HIV infections had been reduced from almost 15,500 per year in the early 1990s to around 2,100 by 2009 and 1,000 by 2011, the report said.

Cambodia's success in drastically reducing HIV prevalence was largely due to the efforts by the government in introducing rigorous prevention programs, focusing on entertainment workers, preventing the transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies, confidential HIV testing and antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV, it said.

Cambodia has vowed to achieve the United Nations principle to get to the three zero strategy: "zero new infections, zero discrimination, zero AIDS-related deaths" by 2020.

"Having reviewed available data, documents and reports and carried out on-site observations and interviews, the Review of the National Health Sector Response to HIV concluded that Cambodia was on track moving towards the ambitious goal of eliminating new HIV infections in the country by 2020," said Professor Daniel Tarantola, who led the review team.

However, to attain the goal of eliminating HIV transmission in Cambodia by 2020, certain conditions would have to be met, the report said.

The conditions include sustained services and resources, which are dedicated to HIV and Social Transmitted Infection prevention, care and treatment, and better access to the most vulnerable and most risky populations as well as pregnant women and children.

"Cambodia is committed to eliminating new HIV infections by 2020 through applying a public health approach and strengthening health and community systems," Mam Bunheng, minister of health, said.

The country is regarded by the international community as one of the most successful countries in the region and the world in its health sector response to HIV.

"The World Health Organization who facilitated this review is committed to supporting the government of Cambodia in its follow up on the implementation of recommendations of the review team," said Pieter van Maaren, WHO Representative to Cambodia.

According to Cambodia's National institute of Public Health, currently, about 77,861 Cambodian people have been living with HIV/ AIDS including 5,349 children.

The country needs about 58 million U.S. dollars a year to fight against HIV/AIDS in order to achieve the United Nations' three zeros HIV/AIDS target by 2020.

Gold resource in northeastern Cambodia estimated at 1.2 mln ounces

Posted: 09 May 2013 11:26 PM PDT

PHNOM PENH, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Renaissance Minerals (Cambodia) Ltd. unveiled Thursday that it estimated that gold resource at O'kvau area in Cambodia's Mondolkiri province could be as much as 1.2 million ounces, the firm's Managing Director Justin Tremain said.

Speaking during a meeting with Cambodian Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Suy Sem on Thursday, Justin said the company has conducted an exploration and estimated that the area has gold deposit of up to 1.2 million ounces, much higher than its 2011 estimate of 720,000 ounces.

According to a press release from the ministry, Justin told Suy Sem that the company has already invested 22.5 million U.S. dollars for exploratory tasks and it would conduct a feasibility study towards exploitation in the future.

Renaissance Minerals Ltd. acquired Mondolkiri gold mining resource from Australian OZ Minerals Ltd. last year.

According to Justin, besides the above-mentioned project, the firm has also been exploring gold minerals in Ochhoung area in Keo Seima district of northeastern Mondolkiri province and Pheam Lorp area in Teuk Pos district in northern Kampong Chhnang province.

He said the explorations in the two areas have already cost about 18.5 million U.S. dollars, but the results are not available yet.

Cambodian parliament ratifies ASEAN-China maritime transport agreement

Posted: 09 May 2013 10:35 PM PDT

PHNOM PENH, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The National Assembly of Cambodia on Friday ratified the agreement on maritime transport between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, saying the agreement is essential to develop trade and economic ties between ASEAN and China.

Seventy-five out of 76 lawmakers attending the Assembly session gave ratification to the agreement.

"The agreement aims to facilitate and foster cooperation in passenger and cargo transport by sea among the signatories," Nin Saphon, Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Commission on Public Work, Industry, Mines, Energy, Commerce, and Land Management, said during the session.

The agreement was signed by Transport Ministers of member countries of the ASEAN and China in Singapore in November 2007, she said.

Cambodian Minister of Pubic Work and Transport Tram Iv Tek said that cooperation in the international maritime transport field between the contracting parties will be beneficial for the development of the trade and economic relations between the member countries of ASEAN and China.

"This agreement is very significant for Cambodia in solidifying international cooperation, chiefly the cooperation between China and Cambodia, refining and burgeoning maritime development in the interests of Cambodia's economic prosperity," he said.

The ASEAN-China maritime transport agreement will take effect once ratified by all the ASEAN member countries and China.

According to the National Assembly of Cambodia, so far, all contracting parties, except Indonesia, have already ratified the agreement.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Cambodia hails U.S. museum to return ancient Khmer artifacts

Posted: 09 May 2013 09:42 PM PDT

PHNOM PENH, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister Sok An admired the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York for its recent decision to repatriate two 10th century stone statues to Cambodia, according to a statement from the government on Friday.

"We'd like to take this solemn occasion to express our sincere thanks and profound gratitude to the Met in New York, which has taken such a laudable decision to return these priceless ancient Khmer artifacts, which represents part of the soul of the nation," he said in the statement issued by the Press and Quick Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers. "We also thank the U.S. government for its support in this endeavor."

Following talks between both sides, the Met decided to return the two statues, which are known as "Kneeling Attendants" and were illicitly removed from Prasat Chen in Koh Ker temple at the time of Cambodia's civil war in the 1970s, the statement said.

In its press release on May 3, the Met quoted its director Thomas P. Campbell as saying, "The museum is committed to applying rigorous provenance standards not only to new acquisitions, but to the study of works long in its collections in an ongoing effort to learn as much as possible about ownership history."

"This is a case in which additional information... has led the museum to consider facts that were not known at the time of the acquisition and to take the action..." Thomas said. "In returning the statues, the museum is acting to strengthen the good relationship it has long maintained with scholarly institutions and colleagues in Cambodia and to foster and celebrate continued cooperation and dialogue between us."

Meanwhile, Sok An, on behalf of the government of Cambodia, appealed to other museums and art collectors around the world to follow this example of returning plundered treasures to their rightful owners as part of the worldwide campaign for the protection of cultural heritage.

Nay Pyi Taw declaration on drug control cooperation among 6 nations issued in Myanmar

Posted: 09 May 2013 08:18 PM PDT

MYANMAR-NAY PYI TAW-DECLARATION DRUG CONTROL COOPERATION
Representatives sign the Nay Pyi Taw Declaration on drug control cooperation in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, May 9, 2013. The Nay Pyi Taw Declaration on drug control cooperation among Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam was issued at the one-day six-Nation Ministerial Meeting held here on Thursday. (Xinhua/U Aung)

NAY PYI TAW, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Nay Pyi Taw Declaration on drug control cooperation among Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam was issued at the one-day six-Nation Ministerial Meeting held here on Thursday.

The declaration on regional drug control cooperation came out at the end of six-Nation Ministerial Meeting which was attended by ministers and representatives from six countries in addition to representatives from the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime ( UNODC).

The Nay Pyi Taw declaration noted satisfaction over the great efforts and the progress achieved by the Signatories through fruitful cooperation within various existing bilateral, sub- regional, regional and international drug control cooperation mechanisms.

The declaration appreciated the joint accomplishments of the Signatories to the 1993 Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control and UNODC in the areas of drug demand reduction, HIV prevention, alternative development, law enforcement, in particular cross border cooperation, criminal justice and international collaboration.

It also noted that the increasing manufacture and consumption of amphetamine-type stimulants, along with rising opium cultivation, undermines regional development at significant cost to governments and citizens.

It also acknowledged that the combination of drug trafficking and other forms of transnational organized crime pose a particular challenge to the stability and rule of law in border areas.

The six nations reaffirmed in the declaration that they committed to overcome the drug problem in East Asian region, and assuring their efforts to eliminate the drug problem in the region.

In 1993, the cooperation mechanism so called MoU on drug control cooperation was signed by four nations namely Myanmar, China, Laos and Thailand through the coordination of UNDCP now UNODC.

The cooperation was extended with Cambodia and Vietnam by signing the same agreement in 1995.

Chinese delegation leader and Permanent Deputy Secretary General of National Narcotics Control Commission (NNCC) of China Liu Yuejin highlighted at the meeting that China will continue to cooperate on drug elimination with regional countries.

Chairman of the Central committee for drug Abuse Control and Myanmar Minister of Home Affairs Lt Gen Ko Ko disclosed at the press conference after the ministerial meeting that cultivation rebound again in 2007 due to its basic changing trends of the opium cultivation.

Myanmar continued to fight drug in 2013 under a revised 15-year drug eradication plan (1999-2014) which has been extended for another five year until 2019 to maintain the momentum of war against drug.

Myanmar has been implementing the 15-year plan since 1999 in three five-year phases to fight against drug.

The original plan has now reached the fourth year of the final five-year phase before it was extended.

Cambodian deputy PM says admires close ties between Cambodia, China

Posted: 09 May 2013 08:17 PM PDT

PHNOM PENH, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Thursday expressed his admiration for the close relations and cooperation between Cambodia and China, saying he believes the ties will be stronger in the future.

"Our ties are not only strong in politics, trade, investment, and tourism, but also good in the framework of law implementation and military sector," he said during a meeting with outgoing Ambassador of China to Cambodia Pan Guangxue.

"Cambodia-China relationship perfectly fits with the level of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Cooperation," he said.

The Sino-Cambodian relationship reached a top level in December 2010 when the leaders of the two countries established the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Cooperation.

Early last month, during Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's visit to China, the two nations agreed to set up an inter- governmental coordination committee to jointly implement the Action Plan on the Implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Cooperation.

The committee, which is co-chaired by Cambodian deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and former Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, will be convened for the first time in the near future.

In the meeting, Sar Kheng expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation between Cambodia's Ministry of Interior and National Police and China's Ministry of Public Security in law implementation.

He also showed gratitude to the government and people of China for supporting Cambodia in all circumstances in national development.

"I believe that our two countries' ties will continue to grow stronger and stronger in the future," he said.

Meanwhile, Pan said he was pleased to see Cambodia's rapid development in all fields, saying even though his diplomatic term in Cambodia has come to an end, he would continue to help Cambodia if he has chance.

He reiterated that China would continue to assist Cambodia in social and economic development for a better livelihood of Cambodian people.

China is Cambodia's largest aid provider and investor, and one of the country's leading trading partners.

According to Cambodia's Finance Ministry, from 1992 to present, China has provided 2.7 billion U.S. dollars in soft loans and grants to Cambodia for social and economic infrastructure development.

On the investment side, Chinese investment in Cambodia totaled 9.17 billion U.S. dollars from 1994 to 2012, according to the Council for the Development of Cambodia.

For bilateral trade, the two-way trade was valued at 2.9 billion U.S. dollars last year, and it is projected to hit 5 billion U.S. dollars by 2017.

ASEAN, partners commence 1st round of RCEP negotiations

Posted: 09 May 2013 08:17 PM PDT

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The first round of negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership ( RCEP) was launched here Thursday by ASEAN and its six Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners.

Officials from 10 ASEAN member states and Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand gathered to start detailed negotiations aimed at concluding the RCEP by the end of 2015.

The talks, which would run from May 9 to 13, will cover issues of trade in goods, services and investment, among others.

Envisaged to enhance market access with due consideration given to its members' stages of economic development, the RCEP targets to attain a comprehensive and mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement that involves deeper engagement than the existing ASEAN FTAs.

"RCEP is a ground-breaking initiative for all 16 participating countries who, together, account for almost half of the world population and 30 percent of global GDP," Michael Mugliston, special negotiator of the department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, said in his opening remarks.

The negotiations for the RCEP were launched by the ASEAN+6 leaders on the sidelines of the 21th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in November last year.

Once realized, the RCEP could potentially lead to the creation of one of the world's largest free trade areas, establishing an integrated market comprising of 3 billion people with a combined GDP of about 17.23 trillion U.S. dollars.

It is viewed by ASEAN as complementing the work that is undertaken through other arrangements currently taking shape in Asia such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The RCEP is also expected to help further entrench ASEAN centrality challenged by the economic cooperation arrangements rapidly evolving in the region, experts say.

The Second Meeting of the RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee is scheduled to take place in Australia in September 2013.

Cambodia's trade with its neighbors slows in Q1

Posted: 09 May 2013 08:13 PM PDT

PHNOM PENH, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia saw a slow rise in trade volume with Vietnam and a slight decrease with Thailand in the first quarter of this year, according to the figures provided on Wednesday.

The bilateral trade with Vietnam valued at 1 billion U.S. dollars during the January-March period this year, up 9 percent compared with the same period last year, showed data from the Vietnam trade office in Cambodia.

The figures said Cambodia's total exports to Vietnam was worth 221 million U.S. dollars during the period, up 10 percent, while the country's imports from Vietnam valued at 791 million U.S. dollars, up 10 percent.

 Tran Tu, trade councilor to the Vietnam Trade Office in Cambodia, said Wednesday that both sides' officials are working together to improve customs procedures and trade facilitation at the border checkpoints in order to boost broader flows of goods between the two neighbors.

 On the bilateral trade ties with Thailand, the total trade volume between Cambodia and Thailand had amounted to 1.1 billion U. S. dollars during the first quarter of this year, down 2.3 percent from 1.13 billion U.S. dollars at the same period last year, according to the reports released by Thai embassy to Cambodia.

 Cambodia's export to Thailand was 101 million U.S. dollars, up 19 percent, while Thailand's export to Cambodia was 1 billion U.S. dollars, down 4 percent, it said.

 Jiranan Wongmongkol, director of the Thai embassy's foreign trade promotion office in Phnom Penh, said the drop was because of Thai baht appreciation.

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