On March 15, Deputy PM, FM Pham Binh Minh and Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn co-chaired the 15th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on Economic, Culture and Scientific and Technological Cooperation in Phnom Penh.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh and Cambodian Parliament President Samdech Heng Samrin
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The two sides focused on reviewing the implementation of cooperative agreements reached in the 14th meeting, hailing the developments in the two nations’ relationships. Vietnam and Cambodia affirmed their determination to soon completing border marker planting to establish a border of peace, stability, cooperation and development.
In the future, they agreed to accelerate cooperation in education, economics, trade and investment, helping businesses overcome difficulties, effectively launching licensed projects and soon signing cooperative agreements to raise the two-way trade to US$5 billion.
They consented to strengthen cooperation in other areas such as natural resources, agriculture-aquatic-forestry, energy, oil and gas, labor and health as well as connect the two economies in other sectors including transport, telecommunications, finance, banking and tourism.
They were unanimous in effectively implementing the agreement on reciprocal encouragement and protection of investments, the border trade agreement, agreement on labor cooperation and the memorandum of understanding on transport in the 2017-2025 phase, with a vision to 2030.
They confirmed the principle of not allowing the enemy to use one’s territory to carry out actions against the other. The two sides agreed to ensure rights of citizens to live and work in the respective nation. They highlighted the importance of protecting and using the water resources in the Mekong River, strengthening cooperation at other international forums and cooperative mechanisms. The 16th meeting will be organized in Vietnam by 2018.
The two sides will study and consider the possibility of upgrading and opening new border gates on the basis of practicality, efficiency and suitability with the actual needs of the border provinces and complying with the domestic law of each country. At the same time, the two sides are determined to implement the agreements reached by leaders of the two countries in the opening and upgrading of the past time, in which the two sides agreed to soon promote the upgrading of Mong Pon (Preyeng Province) and Tan Nam suburban border gate (Tay Ninh Province) into an international border gate.
