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About Embassy
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Russian-Cambodian relations
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RUSSIAN-CAMBODIAN RELATIONS  Brief historical review of the diplomatic relations between Russia and Cambodia Russian-Cambodian political relations Russian-Cambodian trade and economic cooperation Russian-Cambodian scientific and cultural cooperationSee also: Documents and PhotosBRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND CAMBODIA Diplomatic relations between the former USSR and Cambodia were established on May 13, 1956. They were broken off during the period of Democratic Kampuchea regime in 1975-1979 and restored again in 1979 following the establishment of the Peoples Republic of Kampuchea.In December 1991 Chairman of the Supreme National Council - present King of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk declared the recognition of the Russian Federation as the successor of the USSR in the international arena. The Russian Federation officially recognized the Kingdom of Cambodia in 1993, when the monarchy was restored there. Ambassadors of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation to Cambodia:
RUSSIAN-CAMBODIAN POLITICAL RELATIONS Russian-Cambodian political relations are based on mutual interest in development of bilateral cooperation. Russia took an active part in peaceful settlement of the Cambodian civil conflict, in preparation and conclusion of the Paris Peace Accords in October 1991 and in the UN peacekeeping operation in 1991-1993. Russian observers participated in international monitoring of the 1998 parliamentary elections in Cambodia. In 1998 the Russian Federation supported Cambodian Government at the voting in the United Nations on the issue of reoccupation of Cambodia's seat in this organization.Moscow and Phnom Penh adhere to the same positions on major international and regional problems. Specifically our two countries share the concept of the multi-polar world and stands for creation of the Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the South-East Asia region as well as for maintaining strategic stability and security in the world. Russia follows a principled line on the issue of establishing a court to try the former Khmer Rouge leaders which lies in fact that this problem is an internal affair of Cambodia which should independently determine the nature and format of this trial. Close interaction between Russia and Cambodia is set up within the framework of various international organizations, the UN and its specialized institutions. Russia and Cambodia from a common ground advocate strengthening of the United Nations, observing the UN Charter and the principles of international law. Dialogue between the Foreign Ministries of Russia and Cambodia, which major element is cooperation at the foreign ministers' level, is being conducted on a regular basis. In 1995 Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia Ung Huot visited Russia. In July 1997 a meeting of Foreign Ministers of Russia and Cambodia was held in Kuala-Lumpur within the framework of the ASEAN regional forum. On May 15-18, 2001 Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia Hor Namhong stayed in Moscow with an official visit. Inter-Foreign Ministry consultations are being held. The latest ones took place in October 1997 in Moscow at deputy foreign ministers' level. Contacts between heads of individual subdivisions of the two Foreign Ministries are being maintained. In April 2002 Director of Second Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia made a working visit to Phnom Penh. Russian-Cambodian parliamentary ties are developing. In 1995-1996 delegations of the Federation Council (Upper Chamber of the Russian Parliament) and the State Duma (Lower Chamber of the Russian Parliament) of the Federal Assembly (Parliament) of the Russian Federation visited Cambodia. In October 2000 an official visit by Prince Norodom Ranaridh, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia, to Russia took place. In November 2000 delegation of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia headed by Mr. Artur N. Chillingarov, Deputy Chairman State Duma, made an official visit to Cambodia. In January 2001 Russian Parliamentary delegation took part in the Conference of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace which was held in Phnom Penh. The legal base of Russian-Cambodian relations is being renewed. Some notable results in this field have been already achieved. In 1995 the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Cambodia signed five documents that set main directions and basic principles of mutual relations between the two countries and laid the ground for the development of bilateral cooperation. They are: Joint Declaration on the Principles of Friendly Relations, Protocol on the Inter-Foreign Ministry Consultations, intergovernmental agreements on military and technical cooperation, on cultural and scientific cooperation as well as on trade and economic ties. In 2001 agreements on cooperation in the control of illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and on scientific and technical cooperation were initiated, and in 2003 the first agreement was signed. The work on drafting agreement regarding promotion and reciprocal protection of investments, agreement for avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes on income and capital, treaty on legal assisatance and legal relations concerning civil and criminal matters, air services agreement, protocol on an inventory of the treaty and legal basis and force of bilateral treaties in relations between Cambodia and Russia is going on. RUSSIAN-CAMBODIAN TRADE AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION Development of economic cooperation between the former USSR and Cambodia started after establishment of the diplomatic relations in 1956. During the eighties the former USSR was one of Cambodia's major trade and economic partners. Its huge economic aid to the Peoples Republic of Kampuchea played a crucial role in rehabilitation of the country after devastating period of the Khmer Rouge regime.During these years under the intensive assistance of the Soviet Union over 35% of electric power production and 70% of rubber production capacities were brought into operation, hydrometeorological service and state construction organization were established, numerous communication, power engineering and transport projects were created, Sihanoukvill and Phnom Penh ports were launched as well as a number of higher education institutions and health centres were restored and built new ones. In the early nineties due to a variety of objective reasons the Russian-Cambodian trade and economic ties has slowed down. The estimated 2002 trade turnover between the two countries totalled 7,0 million US dollars. The volume and structure of the Russian-Cambodian trade turnover has not changed much for the last years. Russia exports to Cambodian market pulp and paper production, trucks, road-constructing equipement, aviation spare parts, building reinforcement, etc. and imports mainly garments, tobacco and spices. Russia proceeds with providing economic assistance to Cambodia and is a member of the Consultative Donors' Group of Cambodia. Its contribution to the international programs of assistance to Cambodia in 1994-2000 totalled around 14 million US dollars. These assets have been granted mainly for studies of Cambodian students and post graduates at higher education institutions of the Russian Federation. The coordination of bilateral trade and economic relations is done within the framework of Intergovernmental Russian-Cambodian Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. Its second meeting was held in 2001. The Russian part of this Commission is headed by …, the Cambodian part - by H.E. Hor Namhong, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia. RUSSIAN-CAMBODIAN SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL COOPERATION A significant potential is accumulated in the sphere of scientific and cultural cooperation between Russia and Cambodia. During the period of eighties thousands of Cambodian specialists were trained in the former USSR. The basis for training Cambodian scientific personnel destroyed during the genocidal regime of the Khmer Rouge was restored under the technical assistance of our country and several educational centres as well as technological and agricultural institutes were established.USSR scientists carried out large scale geological and exploration works and researches in the fields of plants selection, biology and environment protection. Positive results were achieved in humanitarian sphere. Soviet experts complied comprehensive Khmer-Russian dictionary, manual of Khmer grammar, conducted researches in Cambodian history, ethnography and literature as well as took part in restoration of the ancient temple complex Angkor. The USSR facilitated creation of Cambodia's cinematography, radio and television. Cambodian specialists trained in the USSR and in the Russian Federation still work at many of the local cultural and scientific institutions. Vast majority of modern Cambodian intellectuals were trained in our country. More than 8.5 thousands of Cambodians were educated in Russia and other former USSR republics. At present over 90 Cambodians study in Russia. Yearly the Russian Federation grants the Kingdom of Cambodia a quota of over 25 scholarships for these purposes. A number of important events in the sphere of scientific and cultural cooperation between Russia and Cambodia marked the latest years. In October 1996 a Russian non-government organization Russian Fund "Angkor" and Supreme Council on National Culture of Cambodia have signed an Agreement on joint participation in safeguarding and development of the historical site of the temple complex Angkor. Russian Fund Angkor with its office in Moscow is engaged in scientific research of the unique complex Angkor and promotion of information about it in Russia. In June 1997 a retrospective show of King Norodom Sihanouk's films was arranged in the Russian city of Sochi at the International film festival "Kinotavr". In February 2000 a non governmental organization Cambodia's Friends Society was established in Moscow. The NGO's major goal is strengthening and facilitation of development of scientific and cultural ties between Russia and Cambodia. A remarkable role in development of the Russian-Cambodian cultural ties belongs to the Russian Centre of Science and Culture (RCSC) in Phnom Penh officially opened in 1984. Its task is to develop and maintain positive potential of the Russian-Cambodian cultural relations through the promotion joint activities in Education, Arts, Science and Technique. Mrs. Galina D. GORYACHKINA, First Secretary of the Russian Embassy in Phnom Penh is the director of the Centre. The RCSC in Phnom Penh is one of the 62 overseas institutions (Representations and Russian Centres of Science and Culture) of the Russian Centre for International Scientific and Cultural Cooperation under the Government of the Russian Federation (www.rciscc.ru) - a federal state body of the Russian Federation with its central office in Moscow which operates in partnership with the Russian Association for International Cooperation. There are conference hall for 250 seats, exhibition hall, library with a reading room, classrooms of Russian language, video salon and a collection of video records in the RCSC. The main directions of the RCSC activity are to assist scientific, technical, cultural and economic ties between Russia and Cambodia, to give Cambodians a comprehensive information about the Russian Federation, to promote historic and cultural heritage of Russia in Cambodia. Since 1999 the RSCS has been publishing information bulletin "News from Russia". The programs of Russian television and their records are also available at the RSCS. Serious attention in the RSCS activities is paid to Cambodian graduates of the Russian higher education institutions and compatriots permanently residing in Cambodia. The RSCS conducts courses of Russian language. Graduates of the Centre language courses that successfully passed final tests can get state scholarships for studies at educational institutions of Russia granted by the Russian Federation Ministry of Education and the Russian Centre for International Scientific and Cultural Cooperation. 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