STORY: Chinese-invested int'l airport in Cambodia officially inaugurated
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 16, 2023/file
DATELINE: Nov. 17, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:55
LOCATION: Phnom Penh
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport
2. various of the inauguration ceremony
3. SOUNDBITE (English): KIN PHEA, Director General of International Relations Institute of Cambodia

STORYLINE:

The Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province was officially inaugurated on Thursday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet presided over the inauguration ceremony.

He said during the ceremony that the SAI was another fruit of good cooperation between Cambodia and China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and was a new achievement in the kingdom's aviation industry.

Kin Phea, Director General of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, said that the SAI will have positive impacts on the economy, tourism, infrastructure, and overall development.

SOUNDBITE (English): KIN PHEA, Director General of International Relations Institute of Cambodia
"The new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport is a significant development in Cambodia's aviation industry, symbolizing the country's progress.
The large-scale airport is expected to boost the economy and tourism sector, attract more tourists, and enhance the quality of life.
It will facilitate access to the Angkor archeological site, improve infrastructure, and facilitate trade and investment.
The airport also improves living standards, creates jobs, facilitates the movement of people and goods, and provides access to education and healthcare for Cambodians, making it a symbol of the country's progress and development, especially in the tourism and aviation sectors."

Covering a parcel of 700 hectares, the airport is about 40 kilometers from the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archeological Park.

With a 3,600-meter runway, the 4E-level international airport can accommodate long-distance flights from across the globe.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Phnom Penh.
(XHTV)