Cambodia, Thailand to jointly develop border economic zones, celebrate 65 year-relations

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA, January 16 (TNA) - Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to jointly develop special border economic zones and turn them to become peace and wealthy areas, while also jointly organising activities to celebrate the 65th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. The agreement was reached at the 9th Thailand-Cambodia Joint Commission (JC) Meeting, held in the Cambodian Siem Reap Province on Friday and co-chaired by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn. Both sides agreed to develop two pairs of special border economic zones, one between Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey Province and Thailand's eastern Sa Kaeo Province and the other between Cambodia's Koh Kong Province and Thailand's eastern Trat Province, and also agreed to upgrade four temporary border checkpoints to permanent ones in the near future. Both sides agreed as well that the development of a cross-border communication network could help boost the two countries’ economies and relations of their people to cater for the ASEAN Community (AC), set to be formed by the end of 2015. Other issues discussed at the meeting include how to resolve the problem of illegal falling of trees along the common border and both sides then agreed to set up a joint national-level committee to further discuss the crux. Besides, the two neighbouring countries plan to jointly organise activities to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations later this year. (TNA)