15 September 2017

News Story: Cambodia says U.S. visa restrictions on Cambodia foreign ministry high ranking officials "unreasonable"

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia said on Thursday that the U.S. visa restrictions on Cambodian foreign ministry high ranking officials are "unreasonable" and against the spirit of good cooperation between the two countries.

The United States on Wednesday stopped issuing some types of visa to Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees, with the rank of Director General and above, and their families, with limited exceptions.

The United States said the restrictions came after Cambodia refused to accept or unreasonably delayed the return of its nationals, whom the United States seeks to expel.

"Visa restrictions are the sovereign rights of the United States government. However, the linking of these restrictions to the repatriation of Cambodian nationals is unreasonable and contradictory to the spirit of good cooperation between Cambodia and the United States over the years in this particular matter," the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Read the full story at Xinhua