By Xinhua
Phnom Penh : India will give a loan of $35.2 million to Cambodia to develop rural infrastructure, media reports said Monday.
"The loan will be mainly used to build dams, irrigation systems, and electricity networks from Kratie province to Stung Treng province," said Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, who recently visited India.
"The rest of the loan will be spent for buying water pumps for helping rice farmers during drought season," Namhong, who is also minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, told the Koh Sontheapea daily.
Prime Minister Hun Sen also plans to pay an official visit to India, he added.
Namhong was in India May 17-19 and met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram apart from other ministers.
Agriculture, garment production and tourism, are the economic pillars of Cambodia.