Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng (left) shakes hands with his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Luu Quang on the development cooperation along border provinces, on April 25. SAR KHENG VIA FB
The 10th conference between Cambodia and Vietnam on cooperation and development of the border regions was held in Vietnam’s Tay Ninh province on April 25, co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng and his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Luu Quang.
In an April 25 social media post, Sar Kheng – who is also the Minister of Interior – cited a joint press release as saying that the conference was attended by the relevant ministries, institutions and local authorities of both nations and they had agreed to cooperate and conduct meaningful activities in partnership throughout the year.
The press release said both sides were pleased with the outcomes of the conference and that their relevant ministries and institutions will be cooperating and building legal frameworks and cooperative mechanisms to make it easier for the border provinces to work together.
“The two sides agreed to continue to help the border provinces increase cooperation and resolve issues in a timely manner. They emphasised the importance of maintaining friendly relations and cooperation between the two nations in general and border provinces in particular,” it said.
It added that the two sides celebrated the soft opening of the Meun Chey-Tan Nam international border checkpoint between Cambodia’s Prey Veng and Vietnam’s Tay Ninh province in 2021 and the Vinh Xuong-Ka’am Samnor International Land and Waterway Border Gate between Vietnam’s An Giang province and Cambodia’s Kandal province in February 2023.
The post said the two sides had agreed to jointly push forward the construction of the Meun Chey-Tan Nam infrastructure in preparation for its official inauguration to be attended by the prime ministers of both countries as soon as it is ready.
They also agreed to discuss the possibility of building another new checkpoint at Cambodia’s Chi Miet in Mondulkiri province to Vietnam’s Dak Rue in Dak Lak province.
Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told The Post on April 26 that this timely cooperation along the border between Cambodia and Vietnam was to be strengthened as it became more important to curb problems along the border including transnational crime, tax evasion as well as forest or natural resource related crimes like illegal logging.
“It is good to help one another and foster cooperation between the people living along the border. For example, because Cambodia shares a border with Vietnam, if our people need medical treatment and need to reach the closest hospital and it is in Vietnam, they can go there. Our economic problems are the same and cross-border goods exchanges allow for mutual development. This is what we see as mutual security and socio-economic interests,” he said.
