An air services agreement was signed between China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Kingdom of Cambodia in Phnom Penh on January 17 to develop closer ties between the two sides.

Signing the accord were Stephen Ip, secretary for economic services of the Hong Kong SAR and Pok Sam Ell, secretary of state in charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation of Cambodia.

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Yan Tingai was also present at the signing ceremony.

Ip said, "Air services would play a vital role in strengthening the ties between the two places. The signing of the agreement today would provide a legal framework for their further development."

The air linkage between Hong Kong and Cambodia was established in 1993. Dragon Air of the Hong Kong SAR now has three direct flights a week to Phnom Penh carrying many tourists and business people to Cambodia.

"Hong Kong and Cambodia can offer each other a lot of business opportunities," Ip said, adding, "Hong Kong is an international trade, financial, tourist and aviation center. Cambodia, on the other hand, is a beautiful country endowed with rich natural resources and great development potential."

"I look forward to seeing further expansion of services by the airlines of both sides," Ip said. (Xinhua)