Vietnam-Cambodia border demarcation basically completed

Hanoi (VNA) - With the construction of markers No.30 and No.275, the border demarcation between Vietnam and Cambodia has been basically completed, Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Ministry’s National Boundary Commission Nguyen Anh Dung commented. 

The upcoming inauguration of border marker No.30 in a high-level ceremony and No.275 in a provincial-level ceremony with the presence of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen is the result of an agreement reached on November 20 in Phnom Penh, Dung told the Vietnam News Agency in a recent interview. 

The event is of significance to the strengthening of traditional friendship between the two countries, he said. 

The Vietnamese Party and State steadfastly pursue the policy of settling border issues with neighbouring countries through negotiations and peaceful means in line with international law, including the United Nations Charter and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, he said, adding that the settlement of border issues with Cambodia is not an exception. 

Asked about legal foundations for the Vietnam – Cambodia border demarcation, Dung said both countries signed a Treaty on the Principle for Border Issues Resolution on July 20, 1983, a Treaty on the Delimitation of National Boundaries between the two countries on December 27, 1985, and a Supplementary Treaty to the 1985 Treaty on October 10, 2005. 

Later on April 23, 2011, the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on land border adjustment in remaining areas. 

Both sides have fulfilled over 80 percent of boundary delimitation. Their 1,137km borderline has been reflected on the UTM map 1/50,000 and Bonne map 1/100,000, attached to the 1985 Border Demarcation Treaty. 

Under the MoU in 2011, Vietnam and Cambodia fulfilled land exchange in Tay Ninh – Tboung Khmum, Tay Ninh – Svay Rieng, Dong Thap – Prey Veng, An Giang – Takeo, Kien Giang – Takeo and Kien Giang – Kampot provinces. 

However, they have yet to reach consensus on mapping six areas and land exchange in five areas in Long An – Svay Rieng and one area in Dak Lak – Rattanakiri and Dak Lak – Mondulkiri. 

He pointed out difficulties in the work such as border management, the use of old-fashioned maps Bonne 1/100,000 and UTM 1/50,000 that fail to well match realities, as well as Cambodia opposition forces’ sabotage activities to divide bilateral friendship. 

In the foreseeable future, he said, both sides will work closely together to delimit boundary in remaining areas in the principle of abiding by international law, especially border delimitation treaties. International technical experts are expected to be consulted on the work. 

They will plant more than 1,500 auxiliary border markers, complete profiles on border demarcation to serve as a reference for building a relevant protocol. 

While awaiting a new agreement on regulating border and border gate management between the two countries, Vietnam and Cambodia will continue border management in accordance with the 1983 Agreement on regulating border management and a joint press communiqué on January 17, 1995, he stated.-VNA