BANGKOK, Feb 14 (TNA) – Cambodia and Thailand have agreed
to boost border trade, connect special border economic zones and solve problems
through peaceful means.
Defence Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Kongcheep
Tantrawanit said that the agreement was reached during the 14th Thai-Cambodian
General Border Committee (GBC) Meeting, held in Phnom Penh during February
13-14.
The spokesman stated that both sides have agreed to increase
the Thai-Cambodian border trade to about 15 billion US dollars by 2020 as
earlier targeted, along with enhancing bilateral cooperation in the further
development of quality of life, public health services and education, as well
as religious and cultural exchanges of Cambodian and Thai people along the
common border.
The spokesman said both sides have also agreed to connect
their border special economic zones between Thailand’s eastern Sa Kaeo Province
and Cambodia’s western Banteay Meanchey Province and between Thailand’s eastern
Trat Province and Cambodia’s western Koh Kong Province.
Besides, both neighboring countries have agreed to expand
their cooperation on border security and peacekeeping through new bilateral and
multilateral mechanisms, along with accelerating cross-border railway
connectivity and upgrading their border checkpoints at Thailand’s northeastern
Ubon Ratchathani and Buriram Provinces, as well as eastern Trat and Sa Kaeo
Provinces.
According to the spokesman, the Cambodian and the Thai sides
have also agreed to seek expanded cooperation with other neighboring countries
in the region to prevent and suppress drug trafficking networks and other
transnational crime, covering the extradition of culprits.
The spokesman also noted that both sides confirmed mutual
commitment to refrain from intruding the other country’s border areas, not
allowing border issues to affect now sound bilateral relations and jointly
solving emerging problems through peaceful means.
The spokesman told reporters that the papers on the minutes
of the 14th Thai-Cambodian GBC Meeting were then signed by both sides with the
goodwill and friendship and their promises on resorting to joint economic and
social development plans to promote security and stability of their border
areas.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General
Prawit Wongsuwan led a senior Thai military delegation to pay a two-day visit
to Cambodia to attend the 14th GBC Meeting in the Cambodian capital during
February 13-14 and co-chaired the two-day latest GBC meeting with his Cambodian
counterpart General Tea Banh. (TNA)
