VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam and Cambodia agreed to continue strengthening cooperation to facilitate economic and trade activities at their border areas, targeting bilateral trade turnover of 2 billion USD by the year 2010.
The agreement was confirmed at the joint communiqué issued by their Forth Meeting on Cooperation and Development among Border Provinces held in Preah Sihanouk Ville on Feb. 28.
The full text of the communique runs as follow:
1- Implementing the Joint Communique of the Third Meeting on Cooperation and Development among Border Provinces of Cambodia and Vietnam held in Long Xuyen, southern An Giang Province of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on December 25, 2006, the Fourth Meeting on Cooperation and Development among Border Provinces of Cambodia and Vietnam was organized in Preah Sihanouk Ville, Kingdom of Cambodia on February 28, 2008, Co-chaired by Sar Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the Kingdom of Cambodia and Nguyen Sinh Hung, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Attended the Meeting include the leaders of Cambodia-Vietnam provinces and representatives of ministries and institutions of both countries.
2- The Meeting was conducted in an atmosphere of friendship, solidarity, and mutual understanding. Both sides reiterated the necessity and importance of the Meeting on Cooperation and Development among Border Provinces of Cambodia and Vietnam and considered it as a key mechanism of the cooperation which has progressed from day to day to maintain security and socio-economic development at the border areas of both countries contributing to strengthening and deepening the relations of friendship and multi-sided cooperation of common interest for both countries.
3- Both sides warmly welcomed and highly valued the state visit of Nguyen Minh Triet, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the Kingdom of Cambodia in February 2007 and other official visits carried out by leaders of both countries.
4- Both sides expressed satisfaction and highly valued the outcomes of the 9th Meeting of the Cambodia-Vietnam Joint Commission for Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, held on August 21, 2007 in Phnom Penh, the Kingdom of Cambodia, and considered that the results of this Meeting have contributed to strengthening friendship and cooperative efforts in all areas of common interest including the relations between border provinces of both countries.
5- Both sides welcomed the outcomes of the 2nd Ministerial Meeting on promoting trade and investment at the Cambodia-Lao-Vietnam Development Triangle held on February 16-17, 2008 and the results of the Ministerial Committee of Commerce Meeting on February 18-19, 2008 in Preah Sihanouk Ville, the Kingdom of Cambodia and the First Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Mekong-Japan held in Tokyo, Japan from January 16-17, 2008.
6- Both sides reviewed the implementation of the agreed points discussed in the 3rd Meeting on Cooperation and Development between the provinces along the border of Cambodia and Vietnam and expressed satisfaction and highly valued the outcomes of excellent cooperation between border provinces of both countries and considered this fruitful cooperation as important contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation in all fields of the two countries.
7- In the fields of economy and trade, both sides highly valued annual growth of trades between the two countries and agreed to continue strengthening cooperation to facilitate economic and trade activities at border areas of both countries in order to contribute to the efforts made by the governments of both countries to promote bilateral trade turnover to 2 billion USD by the year 2010. In this sense, both sides agreed to continue implementing and monitoring all Agreements, Agreed Minutes, and MoUs signed by two countries in the framework of existing mechanism in order to facilitate trade and investment along the borders of both countries including exchange of goods and services, establishment of markets and economic zones along the borders, organization of trade exhibitions and products advertisement...etc.
Both sides also agreed to continue strengthening measures of prevention, and suppression of contrabands and fake goods crossing borders of both countries.
8- In the field of transport, both sides agreed to promote further cooperation to develop transportation infrastructure connecting border areas of both countries, encouraging local authorities at border areas of the two countries to use their respective resources for mutual cooperation. In the case of needs for resources from both governments, local authorities should report to their respective governments for consideration. Also, both sides have agreed to promote implementing cross border transportation services at certain key international checkpoints stated in the Protocol to implementation to the Agreement on Road Transportation to which both governments have agreed.
Both sides agreed to speed up the construction of Road No.78 from Ban Lung to O Yadav, Rattanakiri Province, Cambodia and the feasibility study to build Chrey Thom bridge, Kandal Province, connecting to Khanh Binh, An Giang Province, Vietnam for respective governments’ consideration.
9- In the field of industry, mine, and energy, both sides agreed to promote the construction of the 229KV transmission line from the border to Phnom Penh. Both sides welcomed the connection of transmission line to transfer energy 110kv between Kampong Cham province and Vietnam which will be implemented in the near future. Both sides also agreed to encourage Vietnamese companies to invest in electricity plants in Cambodia. In this connection, Cambodian side will facilitate Vietnamese companies to build 02 hydro-electricity plants at Sesan river, known as lower Sesan 1 /Sesan 5 and lower Sesan 2 in Cambodia once the Vietnamese Electricity companies complete the feasibility studies in June 2009 and agreed by Cambodian side.
Both sides agreed to facilitate Vietnamese companies to undertake feasibility studies and explore oil and mines in Cambodia. The Vietnamese side agreed to conduct short training course on oil exploration for Cambodia.
Regarding the industry field, both sides agreed to continue promoting investment, construction of plants and enterprises at border areas of both countries.
10- In the field of agriculture, forestry, and fishery, both sides agreed to continue mutual support in developing agriculture, exchange of experiences on farming, husbandry, and promoting investment in the field of industry to use agricultural products produced at border areas of both countries.
Both sides agreed to promote cultivation of rubber plantation in provinces along Cambodian border and Cambodian authorities agreed to facilitate companies of the two countries to work in partnership to secure appropriate concession land for rubber plantation in accordance with Cambodian law.
Both sides will together continue to protect and take measure against the widespread of insects which destroy rice plant and other crops and jointly maintain good environment, natural resources, ecosystem and wildlife to ensure environmental stability at border areas of both countries.
Both sides agreed to facilitate farmers of both countries to use water from rivers and canals along the borders of both countries for the purposes of living and agriculture cultivation.
11- In the field of health, both sides agreed to continue to cooperate in medical services at border areas in order to care for the well-being of the people who reside along the borders of both countries and to further promote close participation among relevant local authorities to prevent infectious and pandemic diseases along the border and their wide spreading across borders.
The Vietnamese side agreed to help Cambodian provinces with medical check up and treatment of eyes disease for Cambodian people residing at border areas by permitting them to enter Vietnam and seek medical treatment at Vietnamese provincial hospitals for the same fees applied to Vietnamese residents.
12- In the field of education, culture and social affairs, both sides agreed to continue mutual support in capacity building of human resource for the border provinces of the two countries; promoting exchange of study visit and information, organizing workshop and vocational training, providing mutual assistance of material, equipment, education infrastructure, and vocational training at border areas of both countries.
In the field of culture and social affairs, both sides will further promote cultural exchange, sports, and encourage youths and the people residing at border areas of both countries to jointly organize these events in order to strengthening friendship and solidarity between the peoples residing at borders areas of both countries. Also, both sides will continue mutual support in accordance with their respective ability, resources, equipment, and food when dealing with natural disaster or other incidents at border areas of the two countries.
13- In the field of tourism, both sides agreed together promote tourism of border provinces of both countries in order to respond to tourism needs at border areas and to attract tourists from the two countries as well as from third countries.
14- Both sides welcomed the implementation of border demarcation between the two countries based on Supplementary Treaty on Border Demarcation. Both sides agreed to give high priority to border demarcation and speed up the border demarcation with views to complete the tasks as planned by both countries. Also, border province authorities shall prevent any activities affecting the environment at border areas.
15- Both sides evaluated the cooperation and expressed satisfaction for effective measures to maintain public order at border areas of both countries. Both sides agreed to further strengthen security and public order at border areas to ensure peace, friendship, cooperation, and sustainable development. Both sides will continue to heighten control on illegal migration, illicit drug trafficking, human trafficking, particularly women and children, and crimes crossing the borders of both countries. Both sides agreed to promote information exchange, facilitation and cooperation to exchange experiences and training to build capacity of their respective authorities at border areas in order to maintain public order along the borders of both countries. Also, both sides reiterated their respective country’s policy to prevent any hostile forces to use their territory against security of both countries. Both sides also agreed promote cooperation to resolve any differences occur at border areas of both countries in friendship, peace, and mutual understanding. In this spirit, both sides continue to cooperate in educating residents at border areas to enhance their understanding and participation in implementing Treaty, Agreements, and other rules and regulations on border control and border crossing of both countries.
16- Both sides agreed to request their respective governments, ministries, and institutions for continued supports to local authorities of border provinces of both countries in order to promote effective cooperation between border provinces of both countries.
17- Both sides agreed to establish new border checkpoints, change of names of certain border checkpoints, and consider upgrading checkpoints along the borders of both countries in order to facilitate border crossing movement of the residents at border areas and the peoples of both countries and encourage the exchange of goods and services at border areas.
18- Both sides supported the approval in principle of both governments on visa exemption for the peoples of both countries who hold ordinary passports. Based on this principle, both sides will encourage technical teams of both countries to begin their negotiation on this matter as early as possible leading to the signing of Visa Exemption Agreement.
19- Both sides expressed great satisfaction of the events organized at border areas of both countries to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Cambodia and Vietnam (June 26, 1967- June 26, 2007).
20- Both sides agreed to continue regular meetings between provinces, districts and communes as well as other authorities along the borders of both countries to further promote implementation of the agreed points and draft new cooperation plans for their respective governments’ consideration.
21- Both sides agreed to organize the 5th Meeting on Cooperation and Development of Cambodia-Vietnam Border Provinces in 2009 in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Date and venue of the Meeting will be communicated through diplomatic channel.
22- On behalf of Vietnamese delegates, Nguyen Sinh Hung, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam highly valued Cambodia for successfully organizing the Meeting and expressed sincere thanks to the Cambodian side for the warm welcome and excellent reception accorded to Excellency and his delegates during the Meeting.
(Source: VNA)