EU, Cambodian successfully conclude 8th Joint Committee 2014-03-14 CambodiaNews Cambodian government and European Union (EU) have successfully concluded their eighth Joint Committee held in Brussels, Belgium on March 13, 2014. The Joint Committee was preceded by the subgroups on development cooperation, on trade and on institution building, administrative reform, legal and judicial reform, governance and human rights. According to press release issued Thursday, the meeting was co-chaired by Ouch Borith, Secretary of State of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia and Mr Ugo Astuto, Director for South and Southeast Asia, at the European External Action Service. Both sides exchanged views on Cambodias reform agenda and priorities in the post-electoral context, emphasizing reforms in the election process, governance and the respect for Human Rights as key drivers for Cambodias democratic development. Land management was also high on the agenda. Multilateral and regional issues were also touched upon, in particular the Lower Mekong sub-region. Ouch Borith stressed that through Cambodia-EU Cooperation Agreement, which forms the basis of our cooperation, the EU has provided substantial assistance to Cambodia covering several sectors. Ranging from public finance management and good governance, to food security and education, from poverty reduction to sustainable development and private sector development, the EU-sponsored programs and projects have made a significant positive impact on the living condition of the Cambodian people. Director Astuto said The EU has always been at the forefront to promote Cambodias recovery and development. This 8th Joint Committee was an excellent opportunity to reaffirm our strong support for a democratic, prosperous and sustainable Cambodia. We discussed a broad spectrum of issues including human rights, trade and development. We reaffirmed our commitment to work for the consolidation of our relationship. The EU is one of the main trade and development partners of Cambodia. Trade relations with the EU Cambodia, as a Least Developed Countries, benefits from duty-free access to the EU under the Everything But Arms initiative. In 2013, Cambodian exports to the EU amounted € 2.4 billion, concentrated in clothing (68.8%), footwear (12.9%), bicycles (10.3%), rice (5.2%) and sugar (1.6%). In 2013 the EU has become the prime Cambodian export market.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 01:52:37 +0000