PHNOM PENH, February 28, 2014 – The Cambodia-Lao Joint Border Committee has resumed its work to address the differences over the remaining border issues and hopes that a border gate would soon be established so that people from both nations could enjoy mutual benefit from goods and trade crossing the border, said Cambodia and Laotian officials on Friday.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Sok An said as of now, the two countries have achieved 81 percent of border demarcations and the two sides are working to narrow the gap of their differences.
Cambodia and Lao have so far planted 121 of the total of 145 border markers along the common border of 540 kilometers.
H.E. Dr. Sok An said that the working group of Cambodia-Lao Joint Border Committee will have to use related maps that have been agreed upon by the two countries as well as conducting a field study to identify and locate border post 33 before a border gate would be established.
“I see tremendous mutual benefit from trading through border gates “, H.E. Dr. Sok An said, explaining that the proposed border gate, in addition to the process of a one-stop-service centre, will facilitate the flow of goods and trade between the two nations.
The value of two-way trade is small.
“We are pushing to resolve the remaining issues. Once all the border issues are resolved, we will then sign a border treaty which will be deposited with the concerned world institutions such as the U.N.,” H.E. Dr. Sok An said in the meeting.
H.E. Bounkeut Sangsomsak—Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Chairman of Lao Border Committee—expressed similar sentiments with the Cambodian side and said that the remaining issues will be resolved soon.
He said that Laotian leaders want to see peace, friendship and harmonization continue to exist along the border of the two countries from which young generations will enjoy mutual benefit.
The 6th Cambodia-Lao Joint Border Committee was held from February 26-27 in Phnom Penh. The meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Var Kim Hong, Senior Minister and Chairman of Cambodia-Lao Joint Border Committee, and H.E. Bounkeut Sangsomsak, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of Lao-Cambodia Joint Border Committee with the participation of both countries’ ambassadors, governors of bordering provinces and relevant authorities. Both sides will discuss and resolve the issues related to the remaining border markers in the future.
End.