Issued on: Koh Santepheap Daily News paper

Year 42, volume 6644, Friday, May 08, 2009; page 2

Siem Reap Province: Two smooth and beautiful asphalted roads in the east and the west of Angkor area is around 15km. The first road in the west is 7m wide and 4,870m long from national road number 6, near Krous primary school. The road connects the asphalted road in front of Angkor Toch (Angkor Wat) temple which is the former military commander of regional 4 locating in Sangkat Kok Chork and Sangkat Svay Dangkom of Siem Reap town.

The second road is 7m wide from the road corner near Preah Dak market in Preah Dak commune, Bantheay Srey district. This second road is 102,600m and connects in Sangkat Ampil of Siem Reap town to the corner of national road number 6 near Svay Thom market in Sandaek commune, Bakorng district.

This inauguration ceremony to officially put the roads for public use was presided over by H.E Dr. Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister in charge of the Council of Ministers and Chief of Apasara Authority; and Mr. Lee Kyung-Soo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Cambodia. This ceremony was held on the premise of Kok Chan primary school in Sangkat Ampil of Siem Reap town in the morning of 05th May with the participation of Mr. Su Phirin, personal advisor to Samdech Akak Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen and the governor of Siem Reap province; Mr. Bun Narith, general director of Apasara Authority; Mr. Chang Siijung, vice president of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) of the Republic of Korea, and other ladies and gentlemen who are governmental delegations

and leaders from ministries, departments and relevant institutions; national and international guests; and local people around five thousand in total.

Mr. Bun Narith stated: ¡°Nowadays Siem Reap province has remarkably developed. A lot of Cambodian people and tourists come to Angkor area which is the cause of frequent traffic jam. Responding to this issue, Royal Government of Cambodia struggles to build a large part of infrastructures both in Siem Reap town and province as well as in Angkor area. At the same time, because our country¡¯s limited finance, the Government appeals for development partners among friend countries, including the Republic of Korea that help build these 2 roads in Angkor area to help solve traffic issues in the west and the east of Angkor area as well as to solve traffic issues in the whole Siem Reap town. The construction of these 2 bypass roads was done in 2 phases. The first phrase was from 2005

to 2006 when the 2 roads were built by red gravel stone (dirt-road). The second phase was to ensure heavy loaded transportation and long lasting use. This construction that turns the dirt-roads to asphalted roads started October 28, 2008 and completed in April 2009 with the cost of around 4,300,000 USD¡±.

Mr. Bun Narith added: ¡°To build the 2 bypass roads, the Apasara Authority contributed 68,990 USD for some other works beside the project such as heightening the base of the road by filling with dirt and the right of road and preparing drainage pipe for the 2 roads¡±.

H.E Dr. Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister in charge of the Council of Ministers and Chief of Apasara Authority, appreciated the cooperation between Royal Government of Cambodia and the Government of the Republic of Korea which successfully resulted in these 2 bypass roads.

He added that these 2 bypass roads were very important for the Angkor area conservation and for tourism sector and local people. As the gift for this cooperation, the 2 bypass roads were named Cambodia-Korea Friendship Road. In the future, these 2 roads will become the bordering roads of Angkor city after the Republic of Korea helps build another bypass road in the north of Angkor area.