Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, received here at the Peace Palace yesterday afternoon visiting Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation H.E. Dmitry Kobylkin.

According to H.E. Eang Sophalleth, Assistant to the Cambodian Premier, both sides lauded the traditional relationship between the two countries. H.E. Dmitry Kobylkin said the two countries’ relations dated back to 1956 while Samdech Techo Hun Sen said their friendship is witnessed by the Institute of Technology of Cambodia and the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital.

The Russian minister told Samdech Techo Hun Sen of his visit, the purpose of which is to attend the meeting of the Co-Chairs of Cambodian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.E. Prak Sokhonn.

Russia will support Cambodia for its sustainable development, and this is the main objective of the discussion with H.E. Prak Sokhonn on Jan. 25, underlined H.E. Dmitry Kobylkin.

For his part, Samdech Techo Hun Sen congratulated H.E. Dmitry Kobylkin on his appointment as the Co-Chair of Cambodian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission.

The Prime Minister thanked Russia for its assistance to Cambodia, especially after the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime and for its key role in Cambodia’s peacekeeping process, rehabilitation and development.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen encouraged both sides to cooperate in the field of environment and recommended Cambodian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission meeting to look beyond bilateral cooperation, i.e. in the Eurasian Economic Cooperation framework as well.

H.E. Dmitry Kobylkin is on a two-day visit in Cambodia, from Jan. 24 to 25, at the invitation of the Royal Government of Cambodia.