Vietnam and Cambodia step up cooperation in MIA issues

At the meeting, both sides acknowledged that despite increasingly challenging information about the burial sites of fallen soldiers, the search for and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives in Cambodia during wartime were deployed effectively in the 2023-2024 dry season, with 834 remains of soldiers located and repatriated.

The Cambodian side consistently assisted Vietnamese search teams in all their activities, including encouraging local residents to provide information about the burial sites of those missing in action.

“We hope that under the leadership of Prime Minister Samdech Hun Manet, the friendly and cooperative relationship between our two countries will continue to be strengthened and expanded in all areas in the future, especially in the field of searching for and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers to be handed over to Vietnam and their families, who are eagerly waiting for information every day,” said Chum Soyath, vice chair of the Cambodia POW/MIA Committee.

“We are pleased to see that in recent years, despite various challenges, the Vietnam-Cambodia relationship has been strengthened sustainably, providing a solid foundation for cooperation and prosperous development, enhancing each country’s international standing and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the wider world,” said Lieutenant General Vo Minh Luong, Deputy Minister of National Defense of Vietnam.

For the work in the 2024-2025 dry season, the two sides agreed that the specialized committees of both governments and relevant agencies need to coordinate even more closely to speed up the work until there is no longer any information about the servicemen’s burial sites. Vietnam will maintain 11 search teams operating in various provinces and cities of Cambodia. At the same time, both sides will enhance efforts to promote and encourage their citizens to provide information about fallen soldiers and their burial sites.

They will increase delegation exchanges, coordinate to review and gather information about fallen soldiers and their burial sites, and assess the results of cooperation between local specialized committees and search forces. They will regularly organize exchanges to share experiences and put forward solutions to enhance the search and collection efforts.

Both sides will closely coordinate and direct relevant agencies and localities to implement the construction, repair, restoration, and refurbishment of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Monuments in Cambodia.

Representatives of the two committees signed the minutes of the meeting at the end of their talks.