PHNOM PENH, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor and the Sambor Prei Kuk Archaeological Site (ICC-Angkor/Sambor Prei Kuk) on Wednesday held its 39th Technical Session in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province, said a news release.
The event was graced by the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Say Samal, minister of land management, urban planning, and construction, alongside Phoeurng Sackona, minister of culture and fine arts and president of the APSARA National Authority (ANA), said an ANA's news release.
The ANA is a government agency responsible for managing, protecting and preserving the Angkor.
"Spanning two days, this session focuses on reviewing and monitoring restoration efforts and various projects related to the historic sites of Angkor and Sambor Prei Kuk," the news release said.
It added that nearly 300 national and international delegates and experts took part in the session.
According to the news release, following this technical session, the 31st Plenary Session of the ICC-Angkor/Sambor Prei Kuk will be held on Friday in Siem Reap province.
The ICC-Angkor/Sambor Prei Kuk, convened twice a year, is an international mechanism for coordinating all assistance extended by different countries and organizations for preserving and developing the Angkor in Siem Reap province and the Sambor Prei Kuk in central Kampong Thom province.
Both are the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites.
The ANA's deputy director-general and spokesperson Long Kosal said China was one of the key contributors to safeguarding and developing the Angkor.
"As for Angkor, we had two important temples, the Chau Say Tevoda and the Ta Keo, restored by the Chinese expert team, and another restoration project on the ancient Royal Palace of Angkor Thom has been underway," he told Xinhua in a recent interview.
"This continued effort amplifies great Chinese commitment toward the preservation and restoration of temples in Angkor," he added.
Kosal said China's contribution to restoring those ancient temples had not only ensured the protection of the Angkor monuments, but also helped attract more and more Chinese tourists to the ancient park. ■
