The Cambodian National Assembly on October 16 ratified the ASEAN economic cooperation agreements with China and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Earlier on October 15, the legislature approved the ASEAN comprehensive investment agreement and also the ASEAN-Japan economic cooperation agreement.

Kong Vibol, secretary of state of the Ministry of Finance said these documents need to be approved urgently so that Prime Minister Hun Sen can work on them with other countries at the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Thailand on Oct. 23-25.

He expressed his hope that the new agreements would attract foreign partners to invest and do business in Cambodia and help increase trade and investment between Cambodia and three East Asian countries.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed the agreement with China in January 2007 in the Philippines , with the RoK in November, 2007 in Singapore and with Japan in April, 2008 in Cambodia./.