Cambodia delegation led by Sok Sopheak, secretary of state of the commerce ministry meets with Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of Industry of Vietnam on March 6. COMMERCE MINISTRY
The Ministry of Commerce requested that their Vietnamese counterparts look into the possibility of accelerating the procedures for amending an agreement on goods in transit to include the Meun Chey-Tan Nam border checkpoint between Prey Veng and Tay Ninh provinces in order to boost trade.
Commerce secretary of state Sok Sopheak met with Vietnamese deputy minister of industry and trade Tran Quoc Khanh in Ho Chi Minh City on March 6 to discuss the matter.
“We requested Vietnam to help speed up the work of amending the transit goods agreement. Once completed, this border crossing will be inaugurated in the presence of the leaders of the two countries,” Sopheak said.
Sopheak noted that the agreement, once amended, would expand trade cooperation. In 2022, trade volume between the two countries increased nearly 20 per cent over the previous year, despite the problems caused by Covid-19 and inflation.
He said that preparations for carrying out internal procedures for the ratification of the border trade agreements signed by the two trade ministers in November last year had also gone smoothly.
Khanh agreed to the request, saying that Vietnam would accelerate the procedures for amending the agreement on goods in transit via the two countries.
“We expect that we will be able to finalise the internal procedures in the near future,” he said.
He said that close relationships between the two countries are important to further stimulate the growth of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
Cambodia Logistics Association (CLA) president Sin Chanthy said his association had visited over 1,000km of the border with Vietnam, travelling from checkpoint to checkpoint, to learn more about the situation.
He said there are a lot of unofficial crossings in Rattanakiri, Takeo, Kampot, Svay Rieng and Prey Veng provinces, but the Bavet International Border Checkpoint and the Prey Vally International Border Checkpoint had exchanged the most goods.
“We do not have many international border crossings with Vietnam. The Meun Chey border crossing, Banteay Chakrei border crossing and the Phnom Den border crossing are very important for exchanging goods between the two countries.
“It is very good that the governments prepare the agreement on goods in transit, especially to include the Meun Chey-Tan Nam border checkpoint. It is good news for the transport sector,” he said.
