India, Cambodia sign seven agreements

New Delhi, Dec 8 (UNI) India and Cambodia today signed seven agreements including on exchange of prisoners and cooperation in Defence and energy sectors.

The agreements, signed here this evening after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his visiting Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen, also include Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on Cooperation and Technical Assistance between the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority (CNPA) and the ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), Water Resource Management, Foreign Office Consultations and Work Plan under MoU on Agricultural Cooperation for 2007-2008.

Also signed was an agreement on a 35.2 US million dollars Line of Credit for Cambodia.

The Cambodian Prime Minister who arrived here yesterday on a four-day official visit, held talks with the Prime Minister on several bilateral matters and regional and international issues.

The visiting Prime Minister also invited Indian investments in manufacturing, services and infrastructure sectors.

Mr Hun Sen, who addressed a meeting with representatives of Indian industry, called for investments in agro-business, tourism, manufacturing, services, hardware and software, infrastructure including construction of roads, bridges, airports, railways, power, telecommunications and information technology.

The agreement on exchange of prisoners lays down criteria and procedure for transfer of sentenced persons, who are incarcerated in either country, back to their own country to serve the remaining sentence.

The Transferring State will ensure that the person gives his consent to the transfer and the Receiving State shall be bound by the legal nature and duration of the sentence as determined by the Transferring State.

The MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Water Resources Management envisages establishment of a Joint Working Group (JWG) to monitor cooperation in the area.

Under the agreement for Line of Credit, India will extend a 35.2 US million dollars Line of Credit, repayable over 20 years for financing three projects--the Stung Tasal Development project, purchase of water pumps and construction of an electric transmission line between Kratie and Stung Treng Province.

Under the MoU for energy cooperation, the CNPA and OVL will set up a Joint Committee to strengthen working relationships between the two organisations.

The agreement on Defence cooperation aims at enhancing exchange of experience between the two countries.

UNI