Representatives of the Department for Roads of Việt Nam and Cambodia's Ministry of Public Works and Transport during their survey at the Meun Chey International Border Gate in Cambodia's Prey Veng province on Monday. VNA/VNS Photo

TÂY NINH — The Department for Roads of Việt Nam, in coordination with Cambodia's Ministry of Public Works and Transport, on Monday conducted a joint field survey at the Tân Nam International Border Gate in Việt Nam's southern province of Tây Ninh and the Meun Chey International Border Gate in Cambodia's Prey Veng province.

The survey aimed to review the implementation of the two countries’ road transport agreement and assess conditions for launching international cross-border road transport through the Tân Nam–Meun Chey border gate pair.

The delegation inspected the road network leading to the border gates, the joint border control area, infrastructure for customs and immigration procedures, and facilities serving cargo and passenger transport. It also evaluated whether the necessary conditions are in place for the full implementation of the bilateral road transport agreement.

According to Thái Bình An, deputy head of the Tây Ninh Economic Zone Management Board, Tân Nam is located in the planned Mộc Bài border gate economic zone in Tân Biên Commune, directly opposite Meun Chey.

It was upgraded from a secondary border gate to an international border gate in late 2019. Since then, infrastructure covering about 30 hectares has been comprehensively developed, including the border gate monument, a central square, a joint inspection station, supporting technical infrastructure, and a 1.2-kilometre main access road, meeting requirements for the management and inspection of vehicles, goods, and travellers crossing the border.

Tây Ninh authorities are continuing procedures to auction land for the development of two logistics terminals, each covering approximately seven hectares. The province has also approved plans to expand the connecting road and Tân Nam bridge to eight lanes, with an estimated investment of VNĐ186 billion (about US$7.1 million) during the 2026–2029 period.

However, despite the completion of key infrastructure, the Tân Nam–Meun Chey border gate pair has not yet been included in Appendix A1 of the protocol implementing the Việt Nam–Cambodia road transport agreement. As a result, there is still no full legal basis for operating direct international cross-border road transport between the sides.

This has contributed to relatively low traffic volumes, with only around 30 cargo trucks completing border procedures each day, while passenger traffic remains modest and below the capacity of the existing infrastructure.

Speaking at the survey, Ben Boran, deputy secretary of State at Cambodia's Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said Tân Nam has been developed with modern facilities capable of supporting transport and trade between the two countries. He expressed his hope that upcoming official talks between the two sides would reach agreement on measures to facilitate implementation of the road transport agreement at the Tân Nam–Meun Chey border gate pair.

Phan Thị Thu Hiền, deputy director of the Department for Roads of Việt Nam, said the survey findings would provide a basis for both sides to continue discussions and jointly propose adding the pair to Appendix A1 of the implementation protocol. — VNA/VNS