Cambodian, Vietnamese leaders agree to boost trade to $5 billion by 2015

Mr. Ngueyn and Mr. Hun Sen (R).

Tuesday, 06 December 2011
Posted by Serath

PHNOM PENH, Dec 6 (Cambodia Herald) - Prime Minister Hun Sen agreed with visiting Communist Party of Vietnam Secretary-General Nguyen Phu Trong Tuesday that the two countries would promote trade cooperation to reach a target of $5 billion in two-way trade by 2015, a spokesman said.

Ieng Sophallet, personal assistant to the prime minister, told reporters that the agreement came during a meeting between the two leaders at the Peace Palace on the first day of Trong's three-day state visit, his first to Cambodia since becoming Vietnamese party leader earlier this year.

In agreeing to Trong's proposal to boost trade, Hun Sen noted that "trade between the two counties has already exceeded $2 billion during first nine months of this year."

Trong also called on the two countries to "promote cooperation in combatting cross-border crime and illegal drug trafficking and asked for increased exchanges of information to ensure peace and political stability," Ieng Soppallet said. "He also called for cooperation on Mekong issues.".

During the meeting, "Hun Sen expressed his thanks to Vietnam for helping to liberate Cambodia from the Khnmer Rouge and said the Khmer Rouge trial was historic justice for Vietnam."

Charges against the three former Khmer Rouge leaders on trial since last month include genocide against ethnic Vietnamese residents of Cambodia during the Pol Pot regime of 1975 to 1979. Pol Pot forces are also accused of slaughtering thousands of Vietnamese civilians in cross-border attacks during the period,