Phnom Penh (FN), March 22 - The European Union (EU) has pledged to provide nearly $7 million on salaries to national and international officials of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) during the period of 2018 and 2019, according to Dim Sovannarom, National Election Committee’s spokesman and former ECCC’s head of spokesman.

His statement came after NEC’s delegation returned to Cambodia on Wednesday night at Phnom Penh International Airport after their visits to Russia.

"The financing will be allocated to the national side and the international side. For the national side, he requested for approximately $2 million”, stated Dim Sovannarom.

The former head of spokesman added that the pledge of the EU has been made after he presented on behalf of the ECCC about the work of the ECCC and, as a result, the EU continues to provide financial support to the ECCC for 2018 and 2019.

ECCC spokesman Neth Pheaktra said that he had heard that the EU would continue to provide assistance to the ECCC, but the official announcement has not yet been received.

From 2006-2017, the EU provided over $22 million to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal to pay salaries to national and international officials, with $11.7 million for international officials and $10.5 million for national officials.

From 2006-2016, the tribunal spent $293 million, with $224 million for international officials and $ 68.7 million for the national officials.
=FRESH NEWS