Vietnamese, Cambodian border provinces convene 10th meeting

The function was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam Pham Binh Minh and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Cambodia Sar Kheng.

In his opening speech, Minh said the cooperation mechanism has become regular, creating a forum for the sides to discuss new opportunities and measures to safeguard security.

This time, it takes place amid growing Vietnam - Cambodia ties toward effectiveness in line with the motto of “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability”, he added.

Bilateral political relations have continuously been fortified while the two-way trade exceeded 4.6 billion USD last year and is expected to meet and surpass the 5-billion-USD target before 2020.

The Deputy PM stressed that collaboration between Vietnamese and Cambodian provinces, which share 1,137 km of borderline, always receives special attention from leaders of the two countries.

Upbeat outcomes have been recorded in cooperation between Vietnamese and Cambodian public agencies, sectors and border provinces since the 9th meeting in Phnom Penh last year, Minh said.

He highlighted the regular delegation exchanges between the border localities as well as their joint work in economic development, infrastructure building, health, education, and social welfare.

Competent authorities have coordinated the border management, the official noted, adding that the sides have completed 84 percent of their demarcation and border marker planting workload on land.

These works have contributed to consolidating a peaceful and stable environment for the nations to grow and stand side-by-side amid regional and international integration, he affirmed.

For his part, Sar Kheng praised efforts by authorities and relevant agencies in the border provinces in jointly carrying out a cooperation plan set out by the 9th meeting.

He noted that the sides have held regular meetings, exchanged delegations, and worked together in ensuring border security and order, as well as promoting goods exchanges, entry-exit activities and bilateral engagements in education, power supply, transport, demarcation and border marker planting.

The 10th meeting focused on reviewing joint work between the sides and set out orientations for future collaboration in contribution to building a border of peace, friendship, cooperation, and sustainable development.

For the coming time, authorities of the two countries and their border provinces said they will continue their sound cooperation, particularly in agriculture, energy, tourism, cultural exchange, demarcation and border marker planting.