The Long Bình – Chrey Thom Bridge connecting the southern province of An Giang in Việt Nam and Cambodia’s Kandal Province was inaugurated on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Công Mạo

HÀ NỘI – The Long Bình – Chrey Thom Bridge connecting the southern province of An Giang in Việt Nam and Cambodia’s Kandal Province was inaugurated on Monday.
The inauguration, which took place in Kandal, was attended by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and his Cambodian counterpart, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, along with tens of thousands of residents along the shared border.
PM Phúc highlighted the accomplishments in bilateral co-operation, including positive outcomes in economics, trade, investment, security and defense, culture, education and tourism.
He noted that the collaboration between Vietnamese and Cambodian localities, especially cross-border ones, had been enhanced.
The PM stressed the significance of the bridge, saying that it would become the shortest route connecting Cambodia’s capital of Phnom Penh with Việt Nam’s border, thereby promoting bilateral trade and contributing to poverty reduction in disadvantaged border areas.
The two PMs agreed that the bridge was not only significant in terms of economy, but also politics, culture, society, security and defense, and described it as a symbol of solidarity, friendship and sound cooperation between Việt Nam and Cambodia.
PM Hun Sen took the occasion to thank the Vietnamese Government and people for supporting Cambodia’s escape from the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime. At present, Việt Nam still assists Cambodia in the cause of nation building and sustainable development, he added.
The construction of the Long Bình–Chrey Thom Bridge commenced in January 2014. The Vietnamese Government provided a credit package worth US$8.76 million to help the Cambodian government build the bridge.
This is the second biggest transport project in Cambodia after the construction of Highway 78 using  Vietnamese Government preferential credit.
The inauguration of the bridge also marks the two countries’ efforts to complete the land border demarcation and marker planting. — VNS