THE Vietnamese government is to help Cambodian officials draft construction laws and create master plans for the development of two provinces, Nonn Pheany, spokesperson of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction said Tuesday.

According to a memorandum of understanding signed Friday by both countries' ministries of land management, she said, Vietnam will help Cambodia draft laws to replace the current building regulations, arrange exchanges of architecture students and create a construction master plan for two provinces, which are still to be selected.

"Currently, we are researching French construction laws, but we have had problems translating the documents from French to Khmer," she said.

She added that Vietnam is currently drafting a construction law of its own and that Vietnamese experts would be sent to help Cambodia.