Leaders and representatives at the signing ceremony of cooperation deal between An Giang and Takeo authorities. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Sang

AN GIANG — The People’s Committee of southern An Giang province held a conference on Thursday to review its cooperation with Cambodia’s Takeo Province last year and set out directions for the first half of this year.

The two sides agreed to continue promoting comprehensive cooperation in border management, border demarcation and marker planting, social safety and order in border areas, agriculture, trade, education, culture, tourism, health care, transport, front affairs, and search and repatriation of martyrs' remains.

Deputy Chairman of the An Giang provincial People's Committee Lê Văn Phước said the two provinces will continue carrying out the Supplementary Treaty to the 1985 Treaty on the Delimitation of National Boundaries and the 2005 Supplementary Treaty, and the Protocol on land border demarcation and marker planting signed by the two countries on October 5, 2019 recognising the completion of 84 per cent of border demarcation and marker planting.

Phước also revealed a plan for infrastructure development to facilitate cross-border trade. Following the Vietnamese Government's approval, the province will prepare a proposal to upgrade the Bắc Đai-Bak Dai auxiliary border gate into a main border gate, he said. 

The first half of 2024 will see continued collaboration on security matters. An Giang and Takeo plan to jointly fight crimes and smuggling activities, conduct joint patrols and address illegal activities such as cultivation and encroachment across the border. Furthermore, district, town, and city hospitals in An Giang will maintain their policy of providing medical care for Cambodian citizens.

They vowed to continue collecting the remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives on the Cambodian battlefield in the spirit of creating favourable conditions for border crossing procedures, ensuring smooth movement of citizens, vehicles, and other activities.

Last year, the total export-import turnover through Tịnh Biên - Phnom Den and Vĩnh Hội Đông - Kampong Krosang international border gates between the two provinces reached a significant milestone of US$1 billion. — VNS