On 6th July, 2010, the MOU signing ceremony between the Institute for Forest and Wildlife Research and Development (IRD) of Cambodia and Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB) was held in KIB, Kunming, China. Dr. Sokh Heng, the Acting Director of IRD and Dr. LI De-Zhu, the Director of KIB signed on the MOU, representing the two institutes respectively.

During the ceremony, Dr. LI De-Zhu presented a brief introduction of KIB and recommended the potential projects on which the parties might cooperate. Dr. Sokh Heng emphasized the importance to research and to conserve the plant germplasm resources in Cambodia. He said the conservation work must be done in urgent and the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species in Southwest China in KIB might play an important role by banking part of the endangered plant species in Cambodia. IRD and KIB also agreed to enhance the exchange of scientists and staffs.

After the ceremony, Dr. Sokh Heng visited the Herbarium, the Botanical Garden, the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species in Southwest China and the State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China in KIB.