Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and his Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn on Wednesday signed a cooperation agreement covering specific collaboration programmes in 28 areas. — VNA/VNS Photo Trần Long

Phnom Penh — Việt Nam and Cambodia signed a cooperation agreement covering specific collaboration programmes in 28 areas following the 17th meeting of their Joint Committee on Cooperation in Economy, Culture, Science and Technology. 

The meeting was held in Phnom Penh on August 21 under the co-chair of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh and his Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn.

Both Minh and Prak Sokhonn agreed that the Việt Nam-Cambodia relations have seen progress with encouraging results since the previous meeting of the committee in May last year.

Along with maintaining regular high-level meetings and visits as well as bilateral cooperation mechanisms, the two sides have co-organised many activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of victory over the genocidal regime (January 7, 1979-2019), they noted.

Deputy PM Prak Sokhom thanked the people and volunteer soldiers of Việt Nam for saving Cambodians from the genocidal regime as well as supporting the country during the present national construction and development.

The two sides agreed to create more favourable conditions for bilateral economic and trade cooperation, while continuing to reinforce the bilateral partnership in security-defence, transport infrastructure, mining-industry-energy, agro-forestry-fisheries, information and communications, healthcare, labour and social affairs, culture, sports, tourism, and environment.

The Cambodian side thanked Việt Nam for its willingness to support Cambodia in personnel training in technology, science, and for increasing power sales to Cambodia by 50MW to help Cambodia ease its power shortage during the dry season.

The two sides concurred to speed up procedures to complete and hand over to Cambodia the model border market at Da commune in Memot District, Tbong Khmum Province and the high school in Ou Reang district, Mondulkiri province in 2019. They also pledged to accelerate the signing of an aid agreement for the construction of office buildings for the Secretariat and committees of the Cambodian National Assembly, along with some items of a community-based rehabilitation centre for drug addicts in Preah Sihanouk province.

Việt Nam and Cambodia agreed to undertake a number of measures to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation, and facilitate border trade through upgrading border infrastructure and enhance connection of roads, waterway roads and tourism.

They will expand cooperation to new areas in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, especially support to small- and medium-sized and micro enterprises, cyber security and safety, and nuclear medicine.

Cambodia spoke highly of the fact that Việt Nam is one of the country’s biggest investors with 214 projects worth over US$3 billion.

Both countries agreed to coordinate closely to create optimal conditions for their businesses to cooperate and seek partnerships.

The two sides appreciated the efforts of relevant agencies to soon finalise and sign two documents on the workload already completed in border marker planting (84 per cent).

They shared concerns about the lowest water level on the Mekong River recently, stressing the significance of close coordination among countries in the Mekong Delta subregion in maintaining effective and sustainable use of Mekong River water, especially in information and data sharing as well as consultation before building hydropower plants.

Both sides agreed to work with Laos to foster tripartite affiliation in the Development Triangle, while effectively implementing the master plan on connecting the three economies and striving to attract more financial resources from development partners and international financial organisations.

They pledged close coordination in 2020 when Việt Nam serves as both the Chair of ASEAN and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-21 tenure and Cambodia hosts the 13th Summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting. — VNS