The Cambodian National Assembly requested Russia to cancel the $1.5 billion Cambodian

debt owed since the Cold War period. Cheam Rep, chairman of the National Assembly's

Finance and Banking Commission, said National Assembly President Heng Samrin made

the request during the annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum in

Russia last month. Cambodia asked Russia to follow the International Monetary Fund,

which wiped out Cambodian debt of $82 million. Rep said Russia would make any debt

write off conditional on a renewal of military ties; a restoration of Phnom Penh-Moscow

direct flights, and further Russian exploration of Cambodia's oil deposits.