Xinhua
The long-waited visa exception agreement for ordinary passports between Cambodia and Thailand was signed on Wednesday evening in Phnom Penh, aimed to boost cooperation in business and tourism between the two countries.
The deal was inked between Hor Namhong, Cambodian minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, and his Thai counterpart Kasit Piromya, and witnessed by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
The agreement was made after a bilateral meeting between the two prime ministers on Wednesday.
Koy Kuong, undersecretary of state and spokesman for the ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation, told reporters after the signing ceremony that the visa exception agreement will be advantageous for the people of the two countries and will also help to boost business and tourism sector between the two countries.
"The agreement will take into effect within 30 days after the signing," he said. "Through the agreement, length of stay in each country is 14 days for the visa exception."
"It is a progressive part of integration into the ASEAN community by 2015," he said. "And it's a symbol of closer cooperation between Cambodia and Thailand."
Hun Sen said ahead of the bilateral meeting that the visa- exception deal is a new progressive step in the relations between the two countries that allow people of the two countries travel freely without paying visa fees.
Besides Thailand, so far, Cambodia has visa-exception agreements with eight countries in ASEAN, except Myanmar and Brunei.
ASEAN makes up of ten countries including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Abhisit Vejjajiva arrived in Cambodia on Wednesday morning for the 4th ACMECS summit and bilateral meeting with Hun Sen and will leave Phnom Penh for home Wednesday night.
1 comment:
Thailand should agree and withdraw all of their troops out from Preah Vihear territory and allow both side of people going back to their normal life! Its getting old today to invade other country with force..! also CAMBODIA is no longer weaken like neighbors country had in mind...ok! You will make a big mistake in 21st century to invade cambodia!
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