Saturday, November 10, 2007

Cambodian amb. Vann Phal: Relations with Hanoi is business as usual, Khmer Krom issues swept under the rug

Vann Phal, Hun Sen's regime representative in Hanoi

Cambodia toasts diplomatic ties with nation

09-11-2007

VNS (Hanoi)

On the occasion of Cambodia’s National Day today, the country’s ambassador, Vann Phal, spoke to Viet Nam News.

As Viet Nam and Cambodia are celebrating their 40th year of diplomatic ties, what do you think is the most important aspect of the two countries’ relationship?

Viet Nam and Cambodia are two neighbouring countries who have maintained a long history of close bonds and deep attachments. Their diplomatic relationship was officially established on June 24, 1967. This event was of great significance to the fight for independence, unification and development of each country. Our two peoples have made significant progress in their endeavours to promote economy, trade and cultural exchanges between our countries.

The frequent exchanges of high level visits, particularly in recent years, has not only deepened personal ties between the leaders of our countries, but has also encouraged progress and co-operation in all fields, serving the mutual interests of our peoples as well as contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

The co-operation between the two foreign affairs ministries has strengthened exchanges and mutual understanding. The two sides have also exchanged the ratification of the consular agreement, thus facilitating the implementation of consular co-operation between the two countries.

Last year, the volume of imports and exports for products increased by roughly 30 per cent while the value of Cambodia’s goods exported to the Vietnamese market reached US$200 million and its imports from Viet Nam reached $800 million. The future target will be to increase the volume of goods exchanged between the two countries, up to $2 billion by 2010.

What areas should the two countries focus on, when working on trade co-operations in the future to reach the target of $2 billion in bilateral trade turnover by 2010 ?

Bilateral relations have deeply and broadly burgeoned in all fields over the past few years. Along with the prosperous development of the countries’ political relationships, bilateral co-operation in economics, trade and investment has been increasingly important and promoted. In the future, in order to strongly elevate co-operation in trade ties to a new height in bilateral trade turnover by 2010, the two sides have actively worked together as follows: The focal point of diplomacy for economic development is to help promote bilateral trade and to protect and aid Cambodian investors and entrepreneurs who have been doing business in this country. Also we will work on tax incentives on a variety of commodities, to make life easier. Products made in one country with the investment of another country in the triangle of development are transported with the simplest of procedures. There is also the increased effectiveness of economic, trade and investment co-operation, with deepened co-operation in some concrete fields such as agriculture, transportation, hydropower, mineral and oil exploitation, rubber plantation, health care and tourism.

It is also necessary to educate and raise people’s awareness in both countries about the excellent traditional friendship Cambodia and Viet Nam share.

How would you evaluate the progress of border demarcations between Viet Nam and Cambodia? Do you think the demarcation and landmark planning can be finished by next year, as agreed upon by both countries?

The Supplementary Treaty to the 1985 Viet Nam-Cambodia Treaty on Border Delimitation and the current process of landmark plantation between the two countries, signed by the Vietnamese and Cambodian prime ministers in Ha Noi on October 10, 2005, created a legal foundation for a definite and sustainable resolution of borderline issues between the two countries, helping boost peace, co-operation and friendship. According to the Viet Nam-Cambodia Committee for Land Border Demarcation and Marker Planting, 374 landmarks are to be planted along the 1,137km border that straddles Viet Nam and Cambodia.

From September 2006 to June 2008, the countries will implement work on demarcating and planting landmark pillars on the sites. And in December 2008, both countries will complete the documents and prepare the protocol on demarcating and planting land markers.

The year 2007 is an important transitional year to achieve completion of the border demarcation and the planting of border markers. But border demarcating faces many difficulties that stem not only from technical issues such as how to accurately match landmarks on the real site from the locations on the maps, but also from the difficulties of location and poor weather.

I am firmly convinced that the two sides agreed to complete preparatory work as soon as possible to pave the way for demarcating the border and planting the markers, which has been scheduled for completion by the two governments prior to the end of 2008.

What are the potentials for tourism co-operation between Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia?

Tourism has been chosen as a forerunner in contributing to Cambodia’s economic growth and social development, indeed, to the well being of the population as a whole.

The open sky policy, which was adopted by the Royal Government of Cambodia in 1997, bore fruitful results when the number of tourist arrivals increased year on year.

Convenient border crossings by water, land and air facilitate extensive tourism services which connect Cambodia to the rest of the world. The uniqueness of Cambodian culture and her astonishing natural beauty will thrill tourists. The Angkor complex, the largest monumental site in the world, is the crown jewel of our treasures; it truly embodies Cambodian tourism potential.

Indeed, Cambodia’s coastal area also has great potential as a major tourist destination with its pristine beaches, underwater treasures and wide range of aquatic activities. Cambodia’s eco-tourism sites offer visitors exquisite landscapes, waterfalls, wildlife, tribal villages and rare species of birds, flora and fauna that have fascinated explorers, naturalists and bird watches for centuries.

What developments have you seen in Viet Nam since you took your post as ambassador here, compared with your previous stay?

As the Cambodian Ambassador to Viet Nam, I appreciate the policy of the Vietnamese Party and State to ensure stability, security and socio-economic development in Viet Nam.

After Viet Nam became an official member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), its diplomatic relations expanded. Also, on this occasion, I would like to express my congratulations to the Party, State and Government of Viet Nam on the occasion that Viet Nam has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 tenure and as a member of the Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU).

On the basis of traditional friendship and good co-operation, the high-ranking leaders of Cambodia and Viet Nam have often exchanged views based on mutual understandings and have signed many Agreements on co-operation in all fields.

Looking back at 2007, we can see that high-ranking Vietnamese leaders such as President Nguyen Minh Triet and Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Phu Trong both made visits to Cambodia. And many Cambodian delegations from different ministries and branches also came to Viet Nam to consolidate and strengthen our co-operation and relationships.

I would like to thank Viet Nam News for publishing these issues, and I hope the co-operation between our embassy and Viet Nam News will continue to develop for the benefit of both our peoples.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pouk Ah Pak yuon vietcong tieng os!

Ho Chi Minh or his successor. Said,
"Our interests are served by dealing with the Cambodia, that one day we will dominate the whole Asia and by coming to terns before its victory in order to obtain the best terns possible.
Our Khmer veitminh Communist and Cambodian authorities are now obeying our consolidate and strengthen our co-operation and relationships as the same as in 1967 when were fighting with Sihanouk and Lon Nol governments.

We will keep our secret the same!
Don't let Sihanouk khown ok?

Anonymous said...

Pouk Ah Pak yuon vietcong tieng os!

Ho Chi Minh or his successor. Said,
"Our interests are served by dealing with the Cambodia, that one day we will dominate the whole Asia and by coming to terms before its victory in order to obtain the best terms possible.
Our Khmer veitminh Communist and Cambodian authorities are now obeying our consolidate and strengthen our co-operation and relationships as the same as in 1967 when were fighting with Sihanouk and Lon Nol governments.

We will keep our secret the same!
Don't let Sihanouk khown ok?

Khmer Young said...

November 9: in case of Cambodia independence and its controversy.

Our independent day is abused by Vietnam because they tried defrocked monk Tim Sakhorn in this day. This is usual politics for Vietnam that they always do anything in the public to insult Cambodian people. The concept is simple: you have no independence and sovereignty because your people are be able to try by my court like what you see in case of Tim Sakhorn.

Venerable Monk Tim Sakhorn is Khmer, 100% Khmers. But the friendship of Vietnam-Cambodia (legacy of Indochinese Federation from 1930), Hun Sen government defrocked Venerable Tim Sakhorn and sent him to be tried in an alien country.

In order to retain their friendship, Cambodian government can do everything towards their own Cambodian people, in case of Venerable Tim Sakhorn, to favor their so-called relationship; and especially CPP has been violating Paris Peace Agreement and exploited Cambodian people through uncountable so-called bilateral corporations and agreements with their friendly partner(Vietnam).

We can notice that since 1930 of the creation of Indochinese Federation to present of 2007 that their objectives and procedures are not different. Their objectives are "to preserve the special relationship between the Vietnamese people and the people of Laos and Cambodia; and to strengthen military solidarity, mutual trust, long term corporation and mutual assistance in all fields..." (Read Vietnam Join the World by James William Morley, Masashi Nishihara).

Under our present Sam Kok leaders: Chea Sim, Heng Samrin and Hun Sen; we are hopeless from their political will and effort to free Cambodia from Vietnam. But we still hope and believe that when these Sam Kok dare sacrifice their power and position, and importantly when CPP's members who can see the danger of Vietnam-Cambodia relationship, dare wake up to reform CPP, in that time we can see a glimpse of real independence in Cambodia.

According to Kong Hean's scenarios, it will not work with option 1 (because they are absolute lackey and frightened), option 2 (because our Somdech Ta's vision is to maintain royal throne first, the rests are vice versa), option 2 (Cambodian people are too exhaust and fearful), but option 3 might be possible that we must help supplement the seats for SRP.

And I have two effective scenarios: firstly, the movement must start from internal CPP because I do believe there are many CPP's members are potentially be able to revive independence for Cambodia from such tricky relationship; and secondly do whatever to uplift SRP to become government party or lead the country in 2008. So that, Cambodia will have its full own independent decision-making without paying gratitute to anybody or being a lackey because their help or long lasting friendship signatory.

Note: when SRP comes to power, they must keep relationship with all neighboring countries and other international nations. But with Vietnam, SRP must not follow the nature of relation like present Cambodian government led by CPP.

KY

Debating Story

Anonymous said...

What AH VANN PHAL has done is repeating is the same thing by CPP Vietcong slave officials who have been saying all these years!

Cambodia exported to Vietname market reached US$200 million and imports from Vietname reached $800 million! By looking at this number is a one way economic engaged by the Vietcong government and it is expect to reach $2 billion by 2010? Cambodia can no longer absorb all the import from Vietname worth in the billion of dollars without killing Cambodia economically and destroy Cambodian factories that help employ dirt poor Cambodian people! The billion dollars figures put forward by the Vietcong is not real!

In the field of economic and there is a winner and there is a loser! The Viet will do anything to win as in the case of Khmer Kampuchea Krom and the Viet chased the Khmer out and take over economic trade from French! Khmer Kampuchea Krom used to be an economic hub in Indochina set up the French and now look what happen! The Viet kicked the Khmer out and put them in jail and taking over Kampuchea Krom!

Economic trading is a form of war! It may look differently on the surface but underneath there is a power struggle gaining to control to get more power and to make more money! So far the Viet are getting more power from Cambodia without a doubt and the next step is to hijack Cambodia economically in the tourism industry to make more money and that is why the Viet media insisted to AH Vann Phal on the cooperation of Cambodia tourism issue! By the way Cambodia tourism is last hope for Cambodia economic recovery but due to too much corruption and Cambodia fail to make money and now the Vietcong are coming in to consolidate the tourism in Cambodia.

Power and Money go together and it is unstoppable!

Khmer Young said...

2:47AM

You are right, Van Phal is not speaking on behalf of Cambodian people, but on behalf of the member of Indochinese Federation to legitimate its activity for Indochinese Federation.

They are using bilateral corporation as propaganda to consolidate Indochinese Federation.

They are using propaganda of economic development and friendship of security to achieve Indochinese Federation.

KY

Anonymous said...

Well, he don't have to speak for Ah Khmer-US, Ah Khmer-japon, ..., or Ah Khmer-Yuon criminals. He only have to speak for Ah real Khmer.

Anonymous said...

you have good vision 2:47am and ky.Thank for your contributions.

Anonymous said...

Sure, if you love rubbish, that is.

Anonymous said...

12:55PM

Go home Viet troller! Your Vietcong mother is calling you!