Cambodian and Vietnamese senior officials gathered in the 18th Joint Commission Meeting on Dec. 22 via Videoconference to review the progress and explore ways to further strengthen the efficiency and expand the scope of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various sectors.
The following is the outcome of the 18th Meeting of the Cambodia-Viet Nam Joint Commission on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technological Cooperation made public this morning by the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation:
“His Excellency PRAK Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia, co-chaired the 18th Meeting of the Cambodia-Viet Nam Joint Commission (18th JC) on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technological Cooperation with His Excellency PHAM Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, on 22 December 2020 via videoconference.
During the 18th JC, the two sides took note of the strong traditional friendship, good neighbourliness and long-lasting stability as well as the enhancement of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, as highlighted by the frequent telephone and video conversations of their leaders and exchanges of high-level visits. They expressed their appreciation for the effective cooperation and mutual support in the prevention of and the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic while sustaining cross-border flow of trade in goods and maintaining investment.
On political security cooperation, both sides underlined the concerted efforts in coordinating positions at regional and international fora, especially within ASEAN and the United Nations. The Vietnamese side expressed its appreciation for the support and cooperation that the Cambodian side extended to Viet Nam during its ASEAN Chairmanship 2020 and pledged to support Cambodia to successfully host the 13th ASEM Summit in 2021 and the Cambodia ASEAN Chairmanship 2022.
The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation and mutual support at regional and international, step up coordination in combating transnational crimes, organised crime and cybercrime and to improve the mechanisms for the exchange of information in all areas.
On education and human resources cooperation, His Excellency PRAK Sokhonn thanked his counterpart for facilitating the re-entry into Viet Nam of Cambodian students to resume their studies. The two sides agreed to inversely continue providing scholarships to students of both countries in the year 2020 and 2021.
On agriculture, forestry and fisheries cooperation, both sides reiterated their strong commitment and joint efforts in containing illegal exploitation activities, cross-border transportation and trading of timber and wildlife and in strengthening cooperation in the fields of sanitary, phytosanitary, fisheries, rubber, fruit farming, livestock production, and irrigation system.
The two sides reaffirmed their determination to work together to successfully implement projects of environment, water resources and hydro-meteorology. They agreed to enhance cooperation to bring about effective and sustainable utilization, management and development of Mekong water resources and also promote environmental protection and conservation, climate actions, green growth and land management.
For energy cooperation, both sides agreed to explore opportunities for further cooperation on power trade and joint research on the development of clean and renewable energy.
On trade cooperation, the two sides expressed satisfaction with the strong development in bilateral trade with trade volume reaching US$ 5.27 billion in 2019, exceeding the target of US$ 5 billion ahead of schedule in 2020 and pledged to facilitate import and export activities between the two countries. On investment cooperation, they agreed to take appropriate measures related to investment facilitation to mitigate the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On healthcare cooperation, the two sides agreed to continue effectively implementing the “Agreement on Border Health Quarantine” signed between the two governments in 2006 in Phnom Penh and to cooperate closely in responding and preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other outbreaks at the borders of the two countries in a timely manner. They highly valued the strengthening of cooperation between the border provinces of the two countries including the organizing of training courses, scholarships, study tours, seminars or conferences on healthcare.
Concerning the border issues, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to respecting and fully implementing relevant border treaties and agreements signed between the two countries. They also encouraged their Joint Commissions on Demarcation and Abornment for Land Boundary (JBCs) to work closely and discuss actively to find mutually acceptable solutions in accordance with the international law to the 16% remaining undemarcated land boundary.
Both sides also discussed intensively other cooperation in the areas of land management, urban planning and construction, science, technology, innovation, MSMEs, customs, transportation, civil aviation, telecommunications, information and communication technology (ICTs), finance and banking, culture, sports, tourism, labour and vocational training and legal and judicial matters. They also agreed to speed up the implementation of other pending activities and projects while exploring concrete ways and means to further improve cooperation for the mutual interests and benefits for the people of the two countries.
The 18th Joint Commission was followed by the signing of the Agreed Minutes of the 18th JC Meeting of the Cambodia-Viet Nam and the Exchange of Instruments of Ratification of the Supplementary Treaty to the 1985 Treaty on Delimitation of the National Boundary and the 2005 Supplementary Treaty and the Protocol on the Demarcation and Marker Planting of the Land Boundary between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam by His Excellency PRAK Sokhonn and His Excellency PHAM Binh Minh.”
