PHNOM PENH, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and the United States on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding on low emissions and climate resilient development in Cambodia, according to a press statement from the U.S. Embassy to Phnom Penh.

The deal was inked between Cambodian Minister of Environment Mok Mareth and Rebecca Black, Mission Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to Cambodia.

The agreement outlined specific areas for cooperation in the agriculture and forestry sectors and strengthening support for a greenhouse gas inventory, climate change capacity building, international coordination for green growth, and integrating climate change adaptation into green growth strategies, the statement said.

Cambodia was the 19th country to sign such deal with the United States, it said. Both countries developed this agreement as a product of President Obama's Global Climate Change Initiative. Other Asian countries partnering with the United States on such agreement included Vietnam, Bangladesh, and India.

"We are very excited about forging a new partnership with Cambodia's National Climate Change Committee to promote economic growth activities that minimize greenhouse gas emissions," said Black at the signing ceremony. "Climate change will continue to affect economic growth opportunities in Cambodia and around the world, and this new deal opens the door to identify and support the best practices for green growth."

Mok Mareth expressed his appreciation for the number of U.S. climate change initiatives in Cambodia and urged close cooperation in implementing concrete actions under the agreement, which is effective until Sept. 30, 2018.

Cambodia is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, according to the statement. Over the past 10 years, the country has made significant progress in addressing climate change challenges.

These included important policy and development activities such as the 2013-2030 National Policy and Strategic Development Plan on Green Development, which the Cambodian government launched in March.

"Due to the limited institutional, technical, and financial capacity to adequately address climate change in Cambodia, many challenges remain," it said. "The agreement reaffirms the pivotal role that climate change plays in economic development and lays the framework for future U.S. government programming in the environment sector."

PHNOM PENH, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Friday launched its annual campaign to fight against dengue fever as the rainy season comes.

More than 1,000 health officials, health-related nongovernmental organization representatives, and students gathered at a public park in front of Botum Vatey pagoda in Phnom Penh to mark the campaign launching.

At the event, health experts appealed to all parents, guardians and students to kill larvae by using the chemical substance known as Abate in water pots and other still water sources.

"Also, we have to fill in puddles around houses, which are sources of mosquitoes," said Dr. Ngan Chantha, director of the Health Ministry's national dengue control program, adding that people should sleep under mosquito nets and raise seven-colored fish in their water pots to eat larva.

He said during the first four months of this year, the country recorded 2,541 cases of dengue fever, down 31 percent from 3,668 cases at the same period last year.

During the period this year, the disease killed 15 children, down from 17 deaths over the same period last year, he said.

Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The disease causes an acute illness of sudden onset that usually follows symptoms such as headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, vomiting and rash.

Disease outbreak usually begins at the onset of rainy season in May and lasts until October.

Last year, the country recorded 42,362 dengue fever cases, killing 189 kids.

PHNOM PENH, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The 2013 Joint Conference of Confucius Institutes (CI) in Asia concluded here on Friday, drawing up a 3-year action plan (2013-2015) in order to broaden the development of Chinese language in Asia, according to a press release after the conference.

The 3-day conference, hosted by the Confucius Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, was attended by directors of 90 Confucius Institutes in 31 countries and regions in Asia.

"The heads of Confucius Institutes in Asia had drawn up the 3- year action plan in developing the Confucius Institutes in Asia," the statement said.

"The conference also laid out strategies to strengthen capacity for Chinese teachers who teach Chinese language in Asian countries, " it said. "In addition, it agreed to further develop teaching materials for Chinese language studies in each country."

Besides, as 2014 is the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, the conference decided to prepare an number of activities in order to celebrate the occasion, it said.

For Cambodia, the statement said, the Confucius Institute was committed to opening Chinese language classrooms nationwide by 2020 and would try to turn Chinese language into the most important international language in Cambodia.

"The conference comes to an end successfully," Chea Monirith, director of the Confucius Institute at Royal Academy of Cambodia, said at the closing ceremony, adding that the conference was very important to discuss plans to further promote Chinese language and culture abroad.

He said currently, the Confucius Institutes have been playing an important role in strengthening friendship relations and cooperation between China and countries around the globe.

Khlot Thyda, president of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the conference truly provided knowledge and experiences to the Confucius Institute in Cambodia and contributed to strengthening friendship relations between Cambodia and China.

"The Confucius Institute in Cambodia will continue to promote Chinese language among Cambodian people in order to further enhance Sino-Cambodian ties and cooperation," she said.

Wang Yongli, deputy director-general of Confucius Institute Headquarters, hailed excellent cooperation between Chinese directors of Confucius Institutes and foreign counterparts in providing Chinese language teaching to students in Asia.

"I'd like to urge all sides to continue good cooperation in order to help further promote Chinese language abroad and broaden friendship relations between China and foreign countries," he said.