Vietnam and Cambodia pledged to continue working closely in fighting and preventing drug trafficking and drug-related crimes across the common border.

The pledge was made during the talks between Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Chairman of the National Steering Committee for Drug, AIDS and Prostitution Prevention and Control and his Cambodian counterpart, General Ke Kim Yan, in Phnom Penh on August 15.

During the talks, the two Deputy PMs briefed each other on their respective socio-economic situation. They expressed their delight that the two countries’ friendship and comprehensive cooperation have been increasingly consolidated and developed in all fields.

In particular, the two sides have coordinated in organising practical activities to celebrate the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year of 2012 and the 45 th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. These activities have helped raise the public awareness of preserving and developing the already sound relationship between both countries.

Ke Kim Yan expressed his deep gratitude to the Vietnamese Party, Government, Army and people for immense assistance to Cambodian people to escape from the genocidal regime in the past and to build their country at present.

Phuc and Ke Kim Yan, who is also President of the Cambodian National Agency for Drug Prevention and Control, reviewed cooperation of the agencies and gave high estimations to their cooperative outcomes.

They exchanged information and experience in the fight against drugs, especially experience in educating the community and youngsters on impacts of drugs as well as methods to prevent drug use and encourage the involvement of all walks of life in combating the scourge.

The two sides also proposed measures to strengthen the two agencies’ ties, focusing on exchanging delegations of all levels and holding bilateral discussions to seek specific and practical ways to investigate and crack down dug-related crimes.

They will also concentrate on intensifying the fight against drug-related crimes along the border line and carrying out training courses to improve capacity of staff engaging in drug prevention and control.

Deputy PM Phuc asserted that fine traditional ties provide a foundation for the two countries to continue launching comprehensive cooperative programmes and that between the two drug watchdogs in the future.

Later the same day, Phuc attended the talks between Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen and Cambodian Minister of Social Affairs, War Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, which focused on orientations for boosting the two ministries’ cooperation.-VNA