Cambodia and Uruguay agreed yesterday on visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passports as part of their efforts to seal relationships, officials said.

The agreement is the first step in the process to improve economic and development co-operation between the two  countries, which is currently non-existent, said Long Visalo, secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Communication.

“So far, there is no trade between the two countries as they are very far from each other,” he said. “However, the agreement today will help both parties to engage

more easily.”

Gerado Prato Rodriguez, Uruguay’s ambassador in Malaysia, told reporters after the signing ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia that the agreement is a first step towards future co-operation.

“We have a common interest in connecting people of both countries [to improve the] relationship,” Gerado said.