[Demographic Vietnamization: Tbaung Khmum, Border, Mondolkiri] Cambodia, Vietnam build ties

Vietnam’s Pham Binh Minh (left) and Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sokhonn at yesterday’s meeting. KT/Chor Sokunthea

Cambodia, Vietnam build ties

Khmer Times | 15 March 2017

Cambodia and Vietnam have vowed to build closer ties and improve border trade after three days of closed-door meetings.
 

Chum Sounry, the spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry, said officials from the two countries spent time discussing how to work together on agriculture, education, culture, energy, border trade, business and transport.
 

The talks, which concluded in Phnom Penh yesterday, marked the 15th meeting of the Cambodia-Vietnam Joint Commission on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technological Cooperation and were co-chaired by Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sokhonn and his Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Binh Minh.
 

Mr. Sounry said the Vietnamese government has pledged to provide 1,116 scholarship places to allow young Cambodian students and government officials to study in Vietnam, in sectors including aviation.
 

Cambodia officials used the meeting to ask Vietnam to further increase the number of scholarships available to Cambodians, plus provide more funding to support them in their studies.
 

“In response, the Vietnamese side pledged to examine whether it can increase the living stipend for government-funded scholarships,” Mr. Sounry said, adding that Vietnam is also going to provide grants to help build a high school in O’Reang district, Mondulkiri province.
 

“In the aviation sector, Vietnam has agreed to provide scholarships for 41 Cambodian civil aviation officials to study in Vietnam this year,” Mr. Sounry said.   
 

Ways to increase border trade were also discussed at the meeting.
 

“The two sides want to complete the construction of a model border market in Tboung Khmum province’s Memot district,” he said. The countries hope the market will provide a new model for easier cross-border trade.
 

Cambodia and Vietnam last July signed an agreement in Phnom Penh to kick-start the market.

 

Total investment capital from Vietnam now stands at $2.86 billion, while two-way trade volume between Vietnam and Cambodia topped $3.37 billion in 2015 and $2.38 billion by the end of October last year, according to official figures.
 

In June 2012, both governments pledged to push bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2015. That target, however, had not been reached due to global economic factors.
 

“Both sides also agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on studying the construction of an expressway connecting Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City this year,” Mr. Sounry said.
 

The expressway project was discussed earlier this year during talks in Hanoi between Cambodian Public Works and Transport Minister Sun Chanthol and Truong Quang Nghia, Vietnam’s Minister of Transport.
 

The expressway would stretch from Phnom Penh to the border crossing at Bavet and Ho Chi Minh City. The new expressway could carry up to $5 billion worth of trade a year and increase the number of tourists for both countries.
 

Mr. Sounry said demarcation is now complete on more than 80 percent of the Kingdom’s 1,270km border with Vietnam to the east.
 

“So far, the demarcation process of the Cambodia-Vietnam border is 84 percent done,” Mr. Sounry said, adding that both sides are committed to the border treaty between the countries.
 

“Both leaders also urged the Cambodia-Vietnam Joint border committees to find ways to resolve problems which remain with demarcating posts along the border,” Mr. Sounry said.