Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and French Prime Minister Francois Fillon have attended the opening ceremony of an ancient temple at a world-renowned archeological site in northwestern Cambodia.

The 11th-century Baphuon Temple at the Angkor complex was opened to public Sunday after the completion of its decades-long restoration.

The temple was almost completely in ruins before the restoration began in the 1960s, but the project was interrupted during Cambodia's civil war in the 1970s.

The French government financed the restart of the restoration project in 1995. The pyramid-shaped monument rises about 50 meters high and stretches about 120 meters across at the base.

The French prime minister arrived in Cambodia Saturday for a two-day visit aimed at boosting bilateral trade and cooperation in other sectors. He met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and former King Norodom Sihanouk.

Cambodia was a French protectorate for 90 years before gaining independence in 1953.