Nguyen Chien Thang, the Vietnamese ambassador of Vietnam (seen above shaking hand with Prince Ranariddh), claimed in the following interview that in order to turn the potential to develop a multifaceted cooperation into reality, "...the two sides should be committed to executing all signed agreements, at the same time they should check and complement as well as sign new agreements to further the cooperation". During its military occupation of Cambodia between 1978 and 1991, Vietnam imposed on Cambodia, a country it occupied, the 1979, 1982, 1983, and 1985 agreements which are detrimental to Cambodia. The Hun Sen regime, originally installed by the Vietnamese occupiers, recently signed a "supplemental treaty" to the 1985 border agreement thus legitimizing an illegal agreement under International laws.Viet Nam, Cambodia cooperate for development
Phnom Penh, Mar. 1 (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Chien Thang talked with a Vietnam News Agency correspondent on the cooperative ties between Viet Nam and Cambodia in anticipation of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s upcoming visit to Cambodia in early March.
The talks run as follows: Q: Would you give an overall assessment on the cooperation, especially in economics and trade, between Viet Nam and Cambodia in the recent past?
A: In February 2005, Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh became the first foreign guest to officially visit Cambodia after King Norodom Shihamoni took the reign and King Shihamoni called the visit a historical event.
During the visit, the two countries’ leaders agreed on the need to elevate bilateral ties to a new height under the guidelines “friendly neighbourliness, traditional friendship, and long lasting, durable and comprehensive cooperation.”
The visit was then followed by various high-level visits between the two countries. In October 2005, Prime Minister of the Cambodian Royal Government Hun Sen paid an official visit to Viet Nam during which he signed eight cooperation agreements with our country including the Complementary Treaty to the 1985 Treaty on the Delimitation of State Border.
Next, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai will pay an official visit to Cambodia in early March, and after that King Shihamoni will officially visit Viet Nam.
These high-level visits have created a momentum for the two countries’ relations to blossom in all areas.
Bilateral cooperation in defence and security has been reinforced border provinces have constantly promoted their cooperation to ensure security in the border area and mutual development.
Along that, the two countries have jointly conducted a series of cultural and educational activities.
Their two-way trade exceeded 600 million USD in 2005 and the two countries are striving to gross 1 billion USD annually in coming years under the direction of their respective Governments.
Many investment projects have begun and I am sure that these projects will harvest good outcome.
Q: I know that you have visited some northeastern provinces in Cambodia to speed up the implementation of a joint communique on cooperation between Vietnamese and Cambodian border provinces. Could you tell more about that trip?
A: Yes, I toured the mountainous provinces of Kratie, Ratarak Kiri and Mondul Kiri, or remote localities as called by Cambodian leaders.
I had working sessions with these provinces and visited Vietnamese-funded projects in building a school for ethnic minority children, road 78 linking Ratarak Kiri with Viet Nam’s central highlands Gia Lai province, the Ordadow market, and the Xnul industrial zone.
I was very happy to feel local leaders' and people’s sentiment of solidarity and friendship towards the Vietnamese people and to see with my own eyes the growing cooperation between the two countries’ border provinces in ensuring social order and security in their locations.
I have learnt more concretely about these provinces' economic potential and their urgent task of development and cooperation with Vietnamese border provinces in order to develop together. Viet Nam's border provinces have cooperated with and assisted these provinces, creating a sincere and close brotherhood.
Border provinces in Viet Nam such as Gia Rai, Dac Lak, Dac Nong and Binh Phuoc all are ready to invest in Cambodia's northeastern provinces.
I would like to remind you that these provinces have a lot of potential and advantages but also face many difficulties. For projects to build roads, schools, markets and power systems, and to grow industrial plants in Cambodia, I think Viet Nam should conduct cautious surveys and complete effectively and rapidly, combining economic development with socio-cultural development and improving local people's living conditions. Thus Viet Nam's projects can vie with projects of other countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea and China which are also focusing on the Cambodian region.
Q: You reckon that Viet Nam and Cambodia have the potential to develop a multifaceted cooperation. What should be made to turn the potential into reality?
A: In my opinion, the two sides should be committed to executing all signed agreements, at the same time they should check and complement as well as sign new agreements to further the cooperation. The two countries' cooperation has made fine progress. With the framework and principles for cooperation being defined, the execution of cooperation agreements is a decisive factor in turning potential into reality. To prepare for new agreements, the two countries should propose plans to promote investment in Cambodia. For example, during my recent visit to northeastern provinces in Cambodia, I saw that these provinces are in need of electricity, while some Vietnamese provinces can sell it. So we can study this situation and propose Vietnamese power companies sell electricity to those Cambodian provinces.
The talks run as follows: Q: Would you give an overall assessment on the cooperation, especially in economics and trade, between Viet Nam and Cambodia in the recent past?
A: In February 2005, Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh became the first foreign guest to officially visit Cambodia after King Norodom Shihamoni took the reign and King Shihamoni called the visit a historical event.
During the visit, the two countries’ leaders agreed on the need to elevate bilateral ties to a new height under the guidelines “friendly neighbourliness, traditional friendship, and long lasting, durable and comprehensive cooperation.”
The visit was then followed by various high-level visits between the two countries. In October 2005, Prime Minister of the Cambodian Royal Government Hun Sen paid an official visit to Viet Nam during which he signed eight cooperation agreements with our country including the Complementary Treaty to the 1985 Treaty on the Delimitation of State Border.
Next, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai will pay an official visit to Cambodia in early March, and after that King Shihamoni will officially visit Viet Nam.
These high-level visits have created a momentum for the two countries’ relations to blossom in all areas.
Bilateral cooperation in defence and security has been reinforced border provinces have constantly promoted their cooperation to ensure security in the border area and mutual development.
Along that, the two countries have jointly conducted a series of cultural and educational activities.
Their two-way trade exceeded 600 million USD in 2005 and the two countries are striving to gross 1 billion USD annually in coming years under the direction of their respective Governments.
Many investment projects have begun and I am sure that these projects will harvest good outcome.
Q: I know that you have visited some northeastern provinces in Cambodia to speed up the implementation of a joint communique on cooperation between Vietnamese and Cambodian border provinces. Could you tell more about that trip?
A: Yes, I toured the mountainous provinces of Kratie, Ratarak Kiri and Mondul Kiri, or remote localities as called by Cambodian leaders.
I had working sessions with these provinces and visited Vietnamese-funded projects in building a school for ethnic minority children, road 78 linking Ratarak Kiri with Viet Nam’s central highlands Gia Lai province, the Ordadow market, and the Xnul industrial zone.
I was very happy to feel local leaders' and people’s sentiment of solidarity and friendship towards the Vietnamese people and to see with my own eyes the growing cooperation between the two countries’ border provinces in ensuring social order and security in their locations.
I have learnt more concretely about these provinces' economic potential and their urgent task of development and cooperation with Vietnamese border provinces in order to develop together. Viet Nam's border provinces have cooperated with and assisted these provinces, creating a sincere and close brotherhood.
Border provinces in Viet Nam such as Gia Rai, Dac Lak, Dac Nong and Binh Phuoc all are ready to invest in Cambodia's northeastern provinces.
I would like to remind you that these provinces have a lot of potential and advantages but also face many difficulties. For projects to build roads, schools, markets and power systems, and to grow industrial plants in Cambodia, I think Viet Nam should conduct cautious surveys and complete effectively and rapidly, combining economic development with socio-cultural development and improving local people's living conditions. Thus Viet Nam's projects can vie with projects of other countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea and China which are also focusing on the Cambodian region.
Q: You reckon that Viet Nam and Cambodia have the potential to develop a multifaceted cooperation. What should be made to turn the potential into reality?
A: In my opinion, the two sides should be committed to executing all signed agreements, at the same time they should check and complement as well as sign new agreements to further the cooperation. The two countries' cooperation has made fine progress. With the framework and principles for cooperation being defined, the execution of cooperation agreements is a decisive factor in turning potential into reality. To prepare for new agreements, the two countries should propose plans to promote investment in Cambodia. For example, during my recent visit to northeastern provinces in Cambodia, I saw that these provinces are in need of electricity, while some Vietnamese provinces can sell it. So we can study this situation and propose Vietnamese power companies sell electricity to those Cambodian provinces.
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