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Japan: Political Stability Key to
Receiving Aid
Tokyo-Japan
told Cambodia this week that domestic political stability is key to
continued financial aid fro foreign countries, a Japanese Foreign
Ministry official said.
Foreign Minister Yohei Kono told visiting Cambodian Foreign Minister
Hor Namhong in Tokyo that Japan intends to keep supporting the
rebuilding and democratization process in Cambodia, the official
said.
But Kono added in Wednesday's half-hour meeting, Many donor
countries share the view that good governance and domestic political
stability in Cambodia are very important" in considering
assistance, according to the official.
Hor Namhong told Kono that Cambodia's two major political parties
are cooperating for the sake of development and explained that local
elections, to be held for the first time in Cambodia in February,
are meant to spread in democracy to regional areas.
"Good governance in an important pillar of Cambodia 's various
reform efforts and is essential for rebuilding and developing the
country," Hor Namhong said, according to the official.
Hor
Namhong also requested support from Japan and other donors for his
country's efforts to reduce the proportion of its population defined
as poor from the current 36 percent to 25 percent by 2005 and to
eliminate poverty by 2015, the official said.
Representatives of donor countries and international aid agencies of
the Consultative Group (CG) on Cambodia are scheduled to meet in
Tokyo in June to review their aid package to the country.
The Cambodian government said this week it will seek $524 million
from foreign donors at the upcoming CG meeting.
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