National Assembly President Heng Samrin greets officials at Phnom Penh International Airport after his return from a six-day state visit to Russia. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)By Khouth Sophak Chakrya
The Phnom Penh Post
THE Russian Federation has refused to wipe out over a billion dollars of Cold War-era debt, despite National Assembly President Heng Samrin's appeals to senior Russian officials during his recent six-day visit to the country.
Cheam Yeap, a senior lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People's Party who accompanied Heng Samrin on the trip, said Tuesday that Russian officials have not yet accepted the government's bid to cancel the debt, which totals around US$1.5 billion. The money was borrowed from the Soviet Union in the 1980s for the purchase of military equipment during Cambodia's decade-long civil war.
Cambodia requested debt cancellation from Russia in 2006 and 2008, but was unsuccessful both times.
No comments:
Post a Comment