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The United States has expressed support for Cambodia's bid to
officially register the Preah VihearTemple as world heritage site
and will provide aid for its development and management plans,
local media reported on Thursday.
U.S. Ambassador Joseph A. Mussomeli here on Wednesday told
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Council of
Ministers Sok An that the temple has to be officially registered as
world heritage site even if there is opposition from the third
side, press official for the Council of Ministers Phan Sithan was
quoted by English-language newspaper Cambodian Daily as saying.
The United States will send a group of experts to Cambodia to
help organize the development and management plans for the
temple's official registration as world heritage site and also
provide grant aid to support the plans, he said.
Recently, Long Visalo, deputy minister of foreign affairs and
international cooperation, told reporters that the world heritage
committee of the United Nation's Education, Science and Culture
Organization (UNESCO) asked Cambodia to organize the development
and management plans for the Preah Vihear Temple after receiving
the kingdom's request to list it as world heritage site.
The committee promised to decide whether the temple can be
registered as world heritage site in early 2008.
The Preah Vihear Temple was built from the 11th to the 12th
century on top of the Dorng Rek Mountain in the northern part of
Cambodia next to Thailand. Cambodia secured its ownership of the
temple in 1962, out of fierce competition with Thailand.
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