Cambodia, Thailand agree on key economic, security issues

BANGKOK, February 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 told journalists in Bangkok on Thursday 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 crack down against drug trafficking networks and other transnational crime, covering the extradition of culprits. The spokesman, as well, acknowledged both sides' confirmation on refraining 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, who oversees national security, 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)