Vietnam-Cambodia relations touch “historic milestone”: Cambodian official

Phnom Penh (VNA) - Vietnam and Cambodia has reached a “historic milestone” after they officially exchanged the documents ratifying the “Supplementary Treaty to the 1985 Treaty on the Delimitation of National Boundaries and the 2005 Supplementary Treaty, known as the 2019 Supplementary Treaty, said Koy Pisey, Vice Chairwoman of the Cambodia Border Affairs Committee (CBAC).

The exchange was made during a ceremony after the 18th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Commission for Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, which was held via video conference on December 22.

In its article published on December 23, Cambodia’s Khmer Times quoted Pisey as saying that after the two nations completed 84 percent of border demarcation and marker planting, the Cambodian National Assembly and Senate approved along with His Majesty the King who signed the royal decree to promulgate it this year.

According to Pisey, based on international procedure, the two sides had informed to each other that they have completed their internal procedures.

Pisey said the Joint Committee on Land Border Demarcation and Marker Planting of the two countries will continue to negotiate the rest of the 16 percent of border demarcation.

“We appreciate past efforts. It is a difficult task but we have achieved our goals. We are proud of this work because we cannot let this work continue to cause difficulties,” she said.

The official added that the two sides work together to complete this work as a permanent legacy for future generations.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung emphasised that the event contributed to consolidating and lifting the Vietnam-Cambodia relations to a new height.

It marked a great victory for both countries as well as a historical milestone in the process of over 36 years of the settlement of land border issues between the two nations, demonstrating the motto of “good neighbours, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability” agreed upon by their senior leaders, he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said the event that these two legal documents coming into effect demonstrates the resolve and goodwill of both Vietnam and Cambodia in jointly dealing with common border issues.

The 2019 documents, along with the 1985 Treaty on the Delimitation of National Boundaries and the 2005 Supplementary Treaty, will serve as the fundamental legal framework for managing and developing the Vietnam-Cambodia land border in the new context; firmly safeguarding security, defence, and social order and safety in border areas; fostering development cooperation, friendship exchange, and improvement of living standards of residents in border areas; and building the Vietnam-Cambodia land border into a border of peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development, thus contributing to the reinforcement of ASEAN’s solidarity and the promotion of the bloc’s prestige and stature in the world./.