During a meeting in Phnom Penh Monday with Sok An, deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Council of Ministers of Cambodia, Son Man Hong, Aviation Director-General of the Republic of Korea, said a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would be concluded soon between the civil aviations of the two countries to multiply the passenger flights to Cambodia from 4 to 28 per week.

Deputy Prime Minister Sok An highly appreciated the joint efforts made by the civil aviations of the two countries, considering it a bridge linking Cambodia and Korea for the development in tourism.

The number of South Korean tourists visiting Cambodia, he said, has been leading with some 200,000 in 2005 and is expected to further increase in 2006 as the Angkor-Gyeongju World Culture Expo will be held in Cambodia from November this year.

Cambodia and South Korea will jointly organize the Angkor- Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2006, planned for Nov. 21 through Jan. 9, 2007 at the Angkor temples in Siem Reap province. South Korea hopes to introduce its veritable museum without walls to international tourists visiting the ruins of Angkor.

Sok An welcomed the increase of flights, saying it is the right time with the holding of World Culture Expo.

The open skies policy and globalization are beneficial to all countries, said Son Man Hong.

(Xinhua News Agency September 7, 2006)