Cambodia wants more border gates

Gia Lai Province’s Le Thanh border gate, which was inaugurated in December last year, faces Cambodia’s Ratanakiri Province. Cambodia’s Ministry of the Interior wants to open two more border gates with Viet Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo Sy Huynh

18th March 2008

Gia Lai Province’s Le Thanh border gate, which was inaugurated in December last year, faces Cambodia’s Ratanakiri Province. Cambodia’s Ministry of the Interior wants to open two more border gates with Viet Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo Sy Huynh
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia’s Ministry of the Interior wants to open two more border gates to Viet Nam, the ministry’s spokesman Khieu Sopheak recently announced.
Opening more border gates should help attract investment, generate jobs, reduce the migration of job seekers into the cities, help eradicate hunger and alleviate poverty for border residents, according to Sopheak.
Sopheak said the ministry would propose that the Government open the border gates of Labakhe and Nam Lieu, both in Mondukkiri Province, which shares a border with Viet Nam’s southern province of Binh Phuoc.
The ministry said the new border gates should help turn the border area into major industrial zones, helping to raise incomes for local residents via investment and commodities export between the two countries, he said.
Cambodian localities sharing the land border with Viet Nam made remarkable efforts in managing border gates, contributing to security and facilitating travel for local residents, according to the spokesman.
The ministry also asked the Cambodian Government to upgrade the Prechak national border gate in Kampot Province and the Ozadao national border gate in Ratanakiri Province into international border gates and to also construct the Ton Lon national border gate in Kampot Province and look at opening other border gates.
Cambodia now has 64 border gates, with 60 border gates managed by cities and provinces, and four international gates. — VNS