PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and PM Samdech Techo Hun Sen sign Supplementary Treaty to the 1985 Treaty on the Delimitation of National Boundaries and the 2005 Supplementary Treaty(Photo: VNA)

Vietnam and Cambodia share a 1,200 km border that involves 10 Vietnamese provinces and 9 Cambodian provinces.

Strengthened efforts for a border of peace, stability

The Vietnam-Cambodia border was delineated in the 1985 Treaty on the Delimitation of National Boundaries and the 2005 Supplementary Treaty. Since 2006, the two countries have strengthened the delineation work and planted border markers. In 2013, they agreed to plant supplementary border markers to further delineate their land border. By the end of last year, the two countries had delineated 1,045 km of border, and planted more than 2,000 border markers completing about 84 percent of the work.

They have pledged to work closely to quickly complete the land border demarcation and move onto water delineation. At a ceremony to sign the two historic documents on Saturday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said: “We will closely follow the finalization of border delineation between the two countries on the basis of mutual understanding, responsibility, and respect for international law, particularly treaties signed by the two countries. Because we have not yet completed land border delineation, we need to strengthen border management, security, and safety. We need to observe the protocol on land border demarcation and marker planting, and the 2005 Supplementary Treaty to the 1985 Treaty on the Delimitation of National Boundaries between Vietnam and Cambodia.”

Important achievements

The signing of the 2019 Supplementary Treaty and protocol on Land Border Demarcation marked an important milestone in defining the border between Vietnam and Cambodia after 36 years of negotiations. It reflects the two countries’ shared goal of building a border of peace, stability, friendship, cooperation and sustainable development on the basis of respecting each other’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Cambodian Prime Minister Hunsen said: “The signing of the two historic documents today is evidence of progress on the border issue through the efforts of the two Prime Ministers, and the Border Joint Committee and administrations at all levels of the two countries over the last 14 years. Our achievements in border delineation and demarcation came from our efforts based on friendship, brotherly ties, and mutual empathy.”

Having a border delineated by international legal agreements will facilitate the border management and assure national defense and security, contribute to socio-economic development, and strengthen friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.