Laos, Cambodia make strides in resolving unsettled border area

Laos and Cambodia have agreed on the basic principles in drafting a joint Terms of Reference (TOR) to speed up the resolution of the unsettled border area.
This was the outcome of a meeting between the heads of the ministries of Foreign Affairs of Laos and Cambodia, which took place in Vientiane on Friday.
Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Prak Sokhonn, led a Cambodian delegation attending the meeting with Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Saleumxay Kommasith.
The meeting was part of preparations for Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith’s official visit to Cambodia.

The meeting was also part of the agreement reached by the Lao and Cambodian prime ministers on drafting a TOR on a proposal for the French government to sending a mapping expert and provide official documents and maps to Laos and Cambodia.
These would be used as a reference in resolving the unsettled border area.
“It aims to speed up the survey and installation of border markers in order to build a border between the two countries that promotes peace, friendship, and sustainable development cooperation,” a press release from the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
During discussions on the draft TOR, the two sides said they highly valued the success of various cooperation frameworks.
They constructively and sincerely shared their views on the TOR draft and agreed on the fundamental principles they would report to higher authorities.
The two sides will continue joint discussions on the details so as to complete the TOR in the near future and submit it to the French government.
On the day before the meeting, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Prak Sokhonn led his delegation in paying a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith at the Prime Minister’s Office.
“The visit was conducted in an atmosphere of amity, friendship and mutual understanding,” the press release stated.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update September 9, 2019)