Cambodia has asked India to provide more assistance in the development of human resources to promote economic growth and enhance bilateral co-operation.

Deputy Prime Minister Sok An made the request during a meeting with Indian human resource development minister Mangapati Pallam Raju in Phnom Penh on Sunday, Ek Tha, a spokesman for the Office of the Council of Ministers, told reporters after the meeting.

Sok An said that Cambodia and India have a very good economic, cultural and diplomatic relationship.

Presently, he said, Cambodia also has a large young population that needs to develop enough skills to fulfil market demand.

“As we know, our country has a young population [calling] for more investment into Cambodia’s engineering, computer science and accounting sectors,” Sok An was quoted as saying.

“We want to train them to have enough skills so they are able to work for foreign companies that need skilled workers.”

Sok An said that in the past, India had provided human resource development to Cambodia with the establishment of computer centres in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Preah Sihanoukville provinces, in co-operation with the National ICT Development Authority to train government officials, Ek Tha said.

Recently the government has established the National Employment Agency to conduct a survey on employment and skills demand in order to adequately train and educate people.

Sok An also asked India to provide educational assistance to strengthen Cambodia’s small and medium enterprise sector, which comprises a large part of Cambodia’s economic output.

Mangapati Pallam Raju agreed to provide further human resource-development assistance to Cambodia.

He also suggested instituting student exchange programs for a minimum of six months, during which Cambodian workers could develop their skills in India.

To contact the reporter on this story: May Kunmakara at [email protected]