Cambodian Prime Minister calls for stronger ties with Sri Lanka

CAMBODIA: Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake on his three-day official tour in Cambodia was received by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and other State officials on arrival at the Phnom Penh International Airport amidst the cheers of a large number of school children flanking the way carrying the National Flags of the two countries.

On arrival he was accorded a Guard of Honour by the Cambodian Army, stated a media release dated December 01, by the Prime Minister's Office.

Addressing a welcome ceremony in the town of Phnom Penh, the Cambodian Premier Hun Sen stated that Prime Minister Wickremanayake's visit to Cambodia renews the old ties between the two countries and Cambodia as a country with long years of bitter terrorist experiences pledged his Government's total support to protect the unitary status of Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan Premier, in reciprocation reminded that both Sri Lanka and Cambodia are Buddhist states which promote the Buddhist vision of universal compassion and non-violence and that it is a tragedy that terrorists are waging war against a democratically elected Government in Sri Lanka.

Terrorism is engulfing the entire globe and any civilized person cannot tolerate murderous terrorism, he said.

Premier Wickremanayake said that the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries by his visit will go a long way to help both countries in the fields of economy, entrepreneurship, religion, mutual trade and security.

He also called on Agga Maha Pandit Ven. Tep Wong, the Sangha Raja of Cambodia who told the Premier that he also venerated Sri Lanka where pure Theravadha Buddhism is protected and wished that more Cambodians may receive the opportunity to visit Sri Lanka to worship many places where the Sacred Relics of The Buddha are deposited.

Premier Wickremanayake offered a casket of relics to the Cambodian Sangaraja along with a set of Buddhist texts written in English.