Boosting friendship and cooperation between localities in the border areas of Vietnam and Cambodia is of significant importance to the fine relations between the two countries, said Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

FM Minh made the remark at the 7th Meeting on Cooperation and Development between border provinces of Cambodia and Vietnam , which took place in Ho Chi Minh City on Mar. 8 and 9.

The meeting was coo-chaired by FM Pham Binh Minh and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng.

The Vietnamese FM praised efforts by ministries, sectors and localities of the two sides in implementing past cooperative agreements.

Officials from 20 localities along the common border of Vietnam and Cambodia and the host city reviewed cooperative results between ministries, branches and localities in border provinces of the two countries from August, 2010 until now and discussed measures to solve difficulties in implementing the cooperation.

The meeting adopted orientations to promote cooperation in many fields to match the future needs of the two countries’ border localities.

The two sides agreed to actively implement the signed agreements and create favourable conditions for trade, investment, agroforestry cooperation, medical, personnel training and infrastructure construction, in order to contribute to bringing two-way trade to 5 billion USD in the next five years.

They also agreed to speed up land border demarcation and cooperate in maintaining order and security on the common border, as well as boost friendship between the two peoples, especially young people.-VNA