Vietnam, Cambodia vow to complete border demarcation, border marker planting

The two sides also agreed to fully implement the signed border treaties and solve arising problems in the spirit of solidarity and friendship.

The agreement was reached during talks in Phnom Penh on November 8 between Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techno Hun Sen and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh who arrived in Phnom Penh on the same day for a two-day visit.

Vietnam and Cambodia began border demarcation and border marker planting in 1999, and they have so far completed 84% of the workload along the shared 1,258km long border.

During the talks, both sides shared the view that the political-diplomatic relations between the two countries have been continuously consolidated, becoming closer and more reliable through maintaining regular high-level exchanges and effectively promoting bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

They appreciated the effective cooperation of the two countries in organizing diverse activities within the framework of the Vietnam – Cambodia and Cambodia - Vietnam Friendship Year 2022. They affirmed their determination to strengthen the good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive and long-term sustainable cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia to make bilateral cooperation deeper, more substantive and more effective, consider it as indispensable objective requirements for both countries.

The two PMs consented to further strengthen bilateral defense and security cooperation, emphasizing the principle of not allowing any hostile forces to use the territory of one country to harm the security and interests of the other.

They affirmed close coordination and effective implementation of existing agreements and mechanisms to maintain political stability, security, social order and safety in each country, and prevent cross-border crimes. They also agreed to step up the search and repatriation of the remains of volunteer Vietnamese soldiers and experts died in Cambodia, as well as the remains of Cambodian soldiers died in Vietnam.

The two PMs expressed their delight at the growing economic ties between Vietnam and Cambodia, with two-way trade turnover reaching over US$9.5 billion last year, up 80% year on year. Currently, Vietnam has 198 valid investment projects in Cambodia with a total registered capital of US$2.92 billion, ranking first in ASEAN and among the top 5 foreign investors in Cambodia.

The two sides agreed to promote connectivity between the two economies both in terms of hard infrastructure as well as institutions and policies, with priority to be given to promoting digital transformation cooperation, supporting each other in building an independent and self-reliant economy in each country, while ensuring extensive and effective international integration.

The two PMs also emphasized the importance of border trade and economic development cooperation in border areas, and welcomed the two sides’ efforts to complete the Vietnam-Cambodia border trade agreement to be signed during this visit.

PM Pham Minh Chinh asked the Cambodian Government to create more favourable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to invest and do stable, long-term business in Cambodia on the basis of mutual benefits.

Both host and guest also agreed to promote cooperation in the fields of education and training, transportation, agriculture-forestry-fishery, information and communication, finance-banking, culture and tourism, sports and people-to-people diplomacy.

PM Hun Sen thanked Vietnam for continuing to provide scholarships for Cambodian students to study in Vietnam, and welcomed an increasing number of tourists visiting each other following the reopening of their borders.

PM Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam is willing to share experience and support Cambodia in successfully organizing the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in 2023.

PM Pham Minh Chinh took the occasion to thank and expect that the Cambodian government would continue to create more favourable conditions for Vietnamese expatriates to live and work stably and legally in Cambodia.

Exchanging views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, the two PMs held in the context of the complicated and unpredicted developments regionally and globally, Vietnam and Cambodia should strengthen coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially within the framework of ASEAN and the Mekong sub-region, while strengthening solidarity and promoting the central role of ASEAN for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the wider world.

The two sides emphasized the importance of ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight, enhancing trust-building measures, not threatening or using force, complying with international law, and resolving disputes by peaceful means, on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They voiced their strong support for parties in strictly and fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) as well as promoting the completion of an effective, substantive Code of Conduct (COC) in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS 1982.

PM Pham Minh Chinh cordially invited PM Hun Sen to pay an official visit to Vietnam as soon as possible, and the invitation was accepted with pleasure. The visit will be arranged through diplomatic channels.

Following the talks, the two PMs witnessed the signing of cooperation documents between Vietnam and Cambodia in the fields of radio and television broadcasting, land border transportation, agriculture, border trade, administration, telecommunication and digital transformation, labour and finance.