HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and his Cambodian counterpart Samdech Techo Hun Sen co-chaired a conference in Hà Nội on Saturday to review land border demarcation and marker planting work of the two countries in the 2006-19 period.

Việt Nam shares approximately 1,245 km of border with Cambodia. The two countries have been conducting boundary delimitation and border marker planting work since 1986 based on signed agreements. As of December last year, about 84 per cent of the total workload is completed.

At the conference, the two government leaders signed a Supplementary Treaty to the 1985 Treaty on the Delimitation of National Boundaries and the Supplementary Treaty 2005 between Việt Nam and Cambodia.

The prime ministers also witnessed the signing of a protocol on land border demarcation and marker planting between the two countries.

The signing of the two documents affirms the two countries’ goodwill in peacefully settling border issues in line with international law and based on the principle of respecting each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality and mutual benefit, deputy foreign minister Lê Hoài Trung said.

Việt Nam shares a borderline on land with China, Cambodia and Laos, with boundary delimitation and border marker planting already completed between China and Laos.

PM Phúc praised the work that has been completed so far, saying it is an important achievement of bilateral cooperation to settle border issues.

He said the two newly-signed documents, along with other legal agreements related to border already signed, would create an important legal framework for borderline management and development between the two countries, for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development.

PM Hun Sen said the signings demonstrated a proud step forward of Việt Nam-Cambodia cooperation in settling border issues.

“That is the result of the efforts of the Vietnamese Prime Minister and me, along with the Việt Nam-Cambodia joint border committee and administrations at all levels of the two countries over the past 14 years, since after the signing of the supplementary treaty in 2005,” he said.

The Cambodia PM said they were paying more attention to the construction of infrastructure, roads, markets and production facilities in border areas, benefiting residents of both countries and contributing to cooperation and development among Greater Mekong Sub-region countries and ASEAN member states.

He called on the authorities and citizens to build a borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation and development.

PM Phúc suggested the two countries cooperate to devise an agreement on border and border gate management regulations to replace the agreement signed in 1983.

Joint-statement

The two sides issued a joint-statement as Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen concluded his two-day official visit to Việt Nam in the afternoon of Saturday.

Leaders of the two countries reached important common perceptions on Việt Nam-Cambodia relations and bilateral coordination at regional and international forums.

The two sides reaffirmed their resolve to preserve and constantly nurture and develop relations to new heights on the basis of political trust, equality, mutual benefits, and mutual respect and support under the motto “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive and long-term sustainable cooperation.”

The two sides agreed to fully tap potential to make economic cooperation a pillar in bilateral ties, and maintain the growth momentum through carrying out trade promotion measures, supporting firms of both sides to attend each other’s trade and investment promotion activities, fairs and exhibitions, while expanding partnerships in potential fields such as information and communication technology, aviation, tourism, finance-banking, hi-tech agriculture, aquaculture, and health care.

The two sides reiterated ASEAN’s positions on the East Sea in recent joint statements, especially the Joint Communique of the 52nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM52). Both sides expressed the view that the current tension must soon be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). — VNS