Russia and Cambodia "expressed a common interest in deepening their partnership in international affairs and close cooperation in the UN and other international forums," ITAR-TASS was told by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs today on the close of Russian-Cambodian consultations, attended by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Alekseyev, in Phnom Penh on 7 February. Those taking part in the talks "stated that the Russian and Cambodian approaches to many key international political problems coincide".
The talks "confirmed their readiness to step up joint efforts to refine the treaty and legal basis of Russian-Cambodian relations". "Priority was given to ways of broadening bilateral political, commercial and economic and investment cooperation," the Foreign Ministry said. "An understanding was reached that everything possible would be done to develop contacts between business people in the two countries, as well as in education and inter-parliamentary exchanges."
"An examination of the situation in Asia-Pacific and ways to further the partnership dialogue between Russia and ASEAN featured prominently in the consultations," the ministry stressed. Those present "noted the importance for peace and stability in Asia-Pacific of Russia's accession to the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation in South-east Asia (the 1976 Bali Treaty) at the 10th ASEAN summit in Vientiane". "The Russian side stated that its policy on building up diverse cooperation with ASEAN remains unchanged," the Foreign Ministry said.

Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
BBC Monitoring