Ukraine to increase diplomatic ties with Cambodia

Ukraine is willing to set up its embassy residence here in order to strengthen and expand bilateral ties in diplomatic affairs, economics and trade, the Hanoi-based Ukraine ambassador to Cambodia Oleksiy Shov Koplias said Tuesday. The ambassador disclosed the plan during a meeting with Sun Saphoeung, Cambodian secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said in the first phase, Ukraine wants to open an honorary consulate-general in Cambodia and wishes to have visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passports. He did not give the details of timeframe for these initiatives. Meanwhile, Sun Saphoeung expressed her welcome for the plans, saying that they will help boost bilateral ties between the two countries. She said that Ukraine has potential in energy, trade and national defense, so Cambodia also wanted to see broader cooperation with Ukraine in these fields. She said that currently trade, tourism and investment relations between the two countries are still relatively small.