Vietnam, Cambodia enhance cooperation in legislature [-Hanoi's marching order for border demarcation]

12/28/2010
VOVNews (Hanoi)

Vietnam and Cambodia wish to promote cooperation legislatures to fulfill their tasks.

This was stressed by Deputy Chairman of the Vietnam National Assembly Nguyen Duc Kien and Vice President of the Cambodian National Assembly Nguol Nhel during their talks in Phnom Penh on December 27.

They informed each other of their respective parliaments’ operations in 2010 and expressed their desire to enhance and strengthen the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

They said more efforts should be made by the two governments to complete land border demarcation and landmark planting by late 2012 and build a sustainable peaceful borderline between the two countries.

After the talks, the Vietnam National Assembly’s decision to ratify a project on information technology infrastructure worth VND23 billion (over US$1 million) was handed over to the Cambodian National Assembly’s Secretariat.

The project, which will be carried out in 2011, is expected to equip the Cambodian parliament with an electronic information system linking the NA to provincial NA deputy delegations nationwide.

The Vietnamese legislature presented its Cambodian counterpart with a security scanner and an electricity generator.

During his stay in Cambodia from Dec. 26-29, NA Deputy Chairman Kien paid a courtesy visit to NA President Heng Samrin and Vice President of the Senate Tep Ngorn and met with the Phnom Penh authorities.

Kien and his entourage are scheduled to visit several localities to meet with parliamentarians and inquire into Cambodia’s economic development.

Cambodia, Vietnam set year 2012 to end border demarcation

PHNOM PENH, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Vietnam have agreed that the border demarcation between the two nations will be finalized by 2012, a senior government official said Wednesday.

The set timeframe for the border demarcation was reassured by border experts during the two-day meeting, which took place in Cambodia's northern province of Siem Reap.

Cambodia's chief of border negotiator Var Kimhong said he had held talks with Ho Xuan Son, Vietnam's deputy foreign minister and chief of border commission, during which he said fruitful discussions on bilateral cooperation, especially, the border issues were made in substantive and mutual manners.

In a separate meeting on Monday between Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and Ngo Anh Dung, newly appointed Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia, Hor Namhong had encouraged Vietnam to expedite its hydropower development in Cambodia's rivers in the eastern part that would provide electricity for local use and for sale to Vietnam, according to Koy Kuong, spokesman of the Foreign Ministry.

Cambodia shares 1,270 kilometers of border with Vietnam to the east and as of today, 109 border poles have been marked and 205 more will be placed by 2012, according to Var Kimhong.

Var Kimhong said as more discussions on border issues need to be addressed, the Cambodia and Vietnam's Joint Border Commission will meet again in November this year in the country's southwest coastal beach of Sihanoukville.

Cambodia is also in the process of negotiations with Thailand and Laos on similar border issues.

Cambodia shares 805 kilometers of border with Thailand to the west and northwest and another 504 kilometers with Laos to its northeast.