Russian delegates from the two largest Russian airlines, Aeroflot Russian Airlines and S7 Airlines, will meet Cambodian Civil Aviation Authorities in order to seek the possibility of direct flights between Russia and Cambodia to be set to begin next year or 2011 at the least, according to the Phnom Penh Post.

“When we reach the agreement, the Russian civil aviation will officially allow the two popular airlines to fly to both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap,” Dilyara Borovi, Embassy Councilor, was quoted by the Post.

She added that the two airlines already service Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam directly from Russia. She added that connecting flights from Vietnam to Cambodia would also be discussed in the future.

According to the figures from the Ministry of Tourism, the number of Russian visitors increased from 12,885 to 13,861in the first 10 months of 2009, compared to the same period last year.

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Dilyara Borovik, a counselor at the Russian Embassy, gave a speech at the an event to mark the 30^th anniversary of the Russian Cultural Center in Phnom Penh that the trade between the two countries for the first nine months of this year totaled US$32.3 million, a 28.7 percent increase over the same period last year, quoted by the Cambodia Daily as saying.

Ms. Borovik added that Cambodian exports to Russia make up 60 percent of trade between the two countries, with garments, agricultural products and seafood being the largest exported products.

In 2008, investment totaled US$600 million with businesses such as the Beeline mobile phone, said she.

“With the economic crisis this year, people are afraid to invest abroad especially if we don’t know the situation in our own country,” Ms. Borovik said.

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Cheam Yeap, CPP lawmaker, was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post as saying that “Heng Samrin plans to request the cancellation of loans used for the purchase of weapons during the 1980s. Cambodia requested debt-cancellation from Russia in 2006 and 2008, but was unsuccessful both times.”

Heng Samrin will also try to encourage more Russian investors to do business in Cambodia and will present a medal to Serge Mironov for promoting friendship ties between the parliaments of Cambodia and Russia, said Cheam Yeap, according to the Post.

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