Tay Ninh (VNA) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Cambodian counterpart Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet on December 8 co-chaired the inauguration ceremony of Tan Nam (Tay Ninh province, Vietnam) – Meun Chey (Prey Veng province, Cambodia) international border gate pair.
The border gate pair is located about 150 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City and about 120 km from Cambodia’s capital of Phnom Penh. The inauguration of this border gate pair is of significant importance, contributing to strengthening the fine neighbourhood, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability between Vietnam and Cambodia.
In particular, it is expected to help promote the building of a borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development; enhance infrastructure connectivity and people-to-people exchanges; and support efforts to raise bilateral trade to 20 billion USD, which currently stands at 10 billion USD annually.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, both leaders emphasised that this is an important event, clearly reflecting the spirit of trust, solidarity, and close, effective cooperation, opening a new gateway for trade and building another bridge of friendship between the two nations. They also appreciated the efforts of ministries, local authorities, and relevant agencies for their cooperation during the construction and upgrading of the border gate pair.
PM Chinh noted that building on the strong, friendly relationship between the two countries, the international border gates along the Vietnam–Cambodia border have for many years played an important role in connecting the two economies, facilitating the circulation of goods, enabling businesses to expand trade and cooperation, and facilitating the travel of people of both nations.
He emphasised that the Vietnam–Cambodia border is not only a territorial demarcation line but also a bridge for exchange, friendship, and cooperation, reflecting the spirit of close neighbourhood and the deep, enduring bonds between the two countries and their people. The inauguration of the new border gate pair has created new opportunities, especially in supporting fast and sustainable growth, bringing happiness and prosperity to border communities and contributing to shared development of both countries.
To ensure smooth and effective operation of the border gate pair, the Vietnamese PM called on relevant ministries, sectors, agencies, and localities of both countries to coordinate closely and focus on five areas: strengthening border management, security, and joint patrols while combating cross-border crimes and enhancing collaboration between border protection forces; simplifying procedures, digitalising customs clearance, and developing smart border gates to reduce time and costs and improve management of the movement of goods and people; and boosting infrastructure connectivity and the border economic space, and encouraging investment in logistics along with preferential policies for import–export activities.
They should also focus on promoting regional linkages and local cooperation, especially between Tay Ninh and Prey Veng provinces, in socio-economic development tied to the border gate pair’s potential, including cooperation in healthcare, culture, education, trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges; and increasing the role of businesses and industry associations in seeking cooperation opportunities, expanding investment, complying with local laws, ensuring product quality and social responsibility, and maximising advantages in agriculture, processing, logistics, and export-oriented production.
PM Chinh expressed his hope that the inauguration of the Tan Nam – Meun Chey border gate pair will create strong momentum for the two countries to soon complete demarcation and marker planting for the remaining 16% of the border that has not yet been finalised; and at the same time, to consider developing additional international border gate pairs along the shared border, so as to soon raise bilateral trade to 20 billion USD as agreed by the two countries’ high-ranking leaders.
It will become a model international border gate pair, leading in digital transformation, and bringing prosperity, well-being, and happiness to people in the border areas, while making the Vietnam–Cambodia border a true “belt of security, bridge of friendship, engine of growth, and anchor of public trust” for both countries, contributing to a peaceful, stable, cooperative, and sustainably developing environment in the region, he added.
Sharing the same view, PM Hun Manet affirmed that the official opening of this border gate pair is a clear testament to the goodwill, unity of approach, and determination to cooperate between Cambodia and Vietnam, as the two countries are working together to build a border of peace, friendship, cooperation, development, and a border that facilitates trade, the exchange of goods and services, and supports the lives of the people.
He called on relevant ministries, agencies, and authorities of Prey Veng and Tay Ninh to continue working closely together, develop appropriate strategies, and formulate concrete plans to facilitate the flow of goods, services, and business activities, especially in high-potential sectors such as agriculture, agro-industry, and export-oriented processing. He also stressed the need to prevent and combat cross-border crimes.
On this occasion, the two PMs cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Tan Nam – Meun Chey friendship bridge between the two countries./.
