by Vu Kim Chung
30-11-2001
The President of Vietnam, Tran Duc Luong, left the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, after failing to resolve a long-standing border dispute. Cambodian officials said agreements were reached on trade and investment, but the expected signing of a protocol on border issues did not go ahead.
The president of the Cambodian national assembly, Prince Norodom Ranarridh, said the border dispute remained a big issue.
But an official communique issued by Cambodia and Vietnam reaffirmed their determination to settle border issues as soon as possible in the spirit of good neighbours. Some Cambodian nationalists still lay claim to the Mekong delta region of southern Vietnam which was only settled by ethnic Vietnamese in recent centuries.
Mr Luong visited the Angkor Wat temple complex as part of his three-day trip.
Vietnam was ready to share experience and co-operate with Cambodia in the fields conforming with each country's benefit and potential, said President Tran Duc Luong during his meeting with Cambodian Senate Chairman Samdech Chea Sim in Phnom Penh on November 26. The Vietnamese leader arrived in Phnom Penh capital on the morning of November 26 for the three-day official visit to Cambodia as guest of King Norodom Sihanouk.
He affirmed Vietnam's persistent policy to unceasingly consolidate and strengthen the fine co-operation, traditional friendship, solidarity, and long-lasting stability with Cambodia on the basis of respect for each other's sovereignty, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equal co-operation, mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence. He expressed his pleasure at the fine development of legislative relations between the two countries, which, he said had contributed to raising mutual understanding while maintaining the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia.
President Luong briefed the Cambodian Senate Chairman about Vietnam's socio-economic development. The two leaders agreed that Vietnam and Cambodia should create favourable conditions for and help each other in overcoming difficulties in order to bring bilateral relationships to a new height in the interest of both peoples and for co-operation and development in the region.
President Luong said he hoped that with the fine development of bilateral relationships and under the leadership of Senate Chairman Chea Sim and National Assembly President Norodom Ranariddh, the co-operative ties between the two legislative bodies would be expanded. Chairman Chea Sim informed President Luong of the two national assemblies' co-operative activities. He said he believed that the traditional friendly and multi-faceted co-operative ties between the two neighbours would be constantly consolidated and expanded.
President returns from Cambodian visit
President Tran Duc Luong and his entourage returned home on November 28 from Cambodia where they had paid the three-day official visit. During their stay in Cambodia, President Luong met with King Norodom Sihanouk, Senate Chairman Samdech Chea Sim, National Assembly President Prince Norodom Ranariddh, and Prime Minister Hun Sen. He toured a number of historical, cultural and medical sites in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap province.
Before leaving Siem Reap province, President Luong met with accompanying members of the Vietnamese media. He stressed the shared determination and agreement of the two countries' leaders and people to further strengthen multi-faceted co-operative relations, not only within the framework of bilateral co-operation, but also within the context of co-operation between Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, in the Mekong sub-region, and among ASEAN countries.
On this occasion, the two countries issued a joint declaration on bilateral co-operation and signed an agreement on investment promotion; an agreement on goods exchange and trade services along the Vietnam-Cambodia border; and an agreement on co-operation between the two foreign ministries.