Cambodia and Laos are committed to further building relations between the two countries and expanding cooperation between the Ministry of Interior and Laos’ Ministry of Public Security, especially continued cooperation on border security.
The commitment came after interior minister Sar Kheng met with new Lao ambassador to Cambodia Buakeo Phumvongsay to discuss various issues on April 20.
At the meeting, Sar Kheng said he greatly appreciated the level of close cooperation and constant progress in diplomacy between Cambodia and Laos, while the two ministries have already been strengthening and expanding their level of cooperation as well.
“Despite the recent situation with the spread of Covid-19, we have sought opportunities to establish joint operations through online meetings and we’ve signed cooperative agreements on maintaining security for the people of both countries, especially on border security cooperation,” he said.
He said he believes that during his diplomatic mandate, ambassador Buakeo will continue to actively promote cooperation between the two ministries.
In response, Buakeo thanked the Cambodian government for its support for Laos’ Covid-19 fight in the form of medical supplies and vaccines.
He expressed his commitment to carrying out his diplomatic mandate on his mission to Cambodia, saying he will work hard to build relations between the two countries and continue to strengthen and expand ministry-level cooperation in the future.
He said he supported Sar Kheng’s assertion that despite the Covid-19 crisis, the leaders of the two countries had continued to work together productively.
The ambassador also mentioned that Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh was looking forward to meeting with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen again when the Kingdom hosts the 2022 ASEAN Summit.
Kin Phea, director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, said relations between Cambodia and Laos remained good both in bilateral ties and in multilateral frameworks.
“We’re seeing better cooperation between the two countries. We do not have a difference of opinion or different views and generally – in terms of the traditional relations between us – they are brotherly and neighbourly. Cambodia and Laos always express mutual respect and support,” he said.
He added that the border security forces of the two countries continued to crack down on various transnational crimes, including drugs and human trafficking and other crimes along the border.
“We once had a misunderstanding over the border issue in the O’Alay and O’Tangav areas and we saw that both countries accepted a mutually negotiated solution and beyond that we’ve not seen many problems,” Phea said.
