国际英语新闻:Cambodia, Sri Lanka sign 2 deals to boost bilateral ties

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Sri Lanka signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on Thursday to boost bilateral relations in politics, trade and investment, a Cambodian senior official said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and visiting Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena presided over the signing ceremony of the MoUs after their meeting at the Peace Palace, said Eang Sophalleth, a personal assistant to Hun Sen.

The deals are the MoU on political consultations between the two foreign ministries and the MoU on bilateral cooperation between the chambers of commerce of the two countries.

"During the meeting, the two leaders also agreed to work together to promote bilateral cooperation in education, culture, tourism, trade, and civil aviation," Sophalleth told reporters after the meeting.

Trade volume between Cambodia and Sri Lanka is relatively low. According to a Cambodian Ministry of Commerce report, the two-way trade volume was valued at 3.9 million U.S. dollars last year.

On the tourism side, some 2,079 Sri Lankans visited Cambodia in the first half of 2019, up 21 percent over the same period last year, said a Cambodian Ministry of Tourism data.

Sirisena arrived in Phnom Penh on Wednesday for a four-day state visit at the invitation of Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni.