The Australian government is planning to provide 97 million AUD in aid to Cambodia for 2013-2014, the Cambodian News Agency (AKP) reported.

The financial assistance will focus on enhancing child and maternal health care, improving livelihoods of disabled people, increasing production yields and food security, improving infrastructure and responding to natural phenomena, the agency quoted Koy Kuong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFA-IC) as saying.

During the meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong in Phnom Penh early this week, newly-appointed Australian Ambassador Alison Burrows pledged to do her best to strengthen the cooperation between Australia and Cambodia, the spokesperson said.

For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, who is also MFA-IC Minister took the opportunity to thank the Australian government for its grant aid of more than 22 million AUD for the rehabilitation of Cambodian railway, especially the Phnom Penh-Preah Sihanoukville portion (Southern Line).

He further sought financial support from Australia to the rehabilitation project of Phnom Penh-Poïpet railway portion (Northern Line) and to malaria elimination project.

Cambodia-Australia bilateral trade volume reached 102 million USD in 2012.-VNA