Thailand, Cambodia to enhance bilateral cooperation

BANGKOK, April 1 (TNA) - Thailand is ready to support the development of border areas and enhance security cooperation at all levels with neighboring Cambodia. Defence Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Kongcheep Tantrawanit told journalists that Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan made the remarks while welcoming visiting Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RFAC) and Army Commander Lieutenant General Hun Manet at his ministry in Bangkok on Monday. The spokesman stated that the Thai deputy prime minister, who oversees national security, also sought cooperation from the Cambodian side on anti-drug moves and a plan to upgrade two temporary border checkpoints to become permanent border passes in the coming months in order to further improve the quality of life of both the Thai and the Cambodian people living along the border areas. The spokesman also quoted the Thai deputy premier as saying that the Thai government plans, as well, to enhance cooperation with Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam, known as the CLMV group, on the solution to forest fires in order to ease the air pollution problem in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). According to the spokesman, the Thai deputy prime minister also took the occasion to congratulate Lieutenant General Hun Manet on being appointed as the army commander and the new deputy commander-in-chief of the RFAC. In return, Lieutenant General Hun Manet, who is leading his entourage to paying an official visit to Thailand as the guest of the Royal Thai Army, thanked the Royal Thai Armed Forces for having supported Cambodia's national security, stability and economic development and joined the Thai deputy prime minister in expressing the appreciation to the steady development of closer ties and cooperation between Bangkok and Phnom Penh on military and security issues through many bilateral stages so far, witnessed by both sides' agreement on not to allow border issues to affect sound bilateral relations and to address emerging problems, if any, by peaceful means through existing joint border mechanisms. Besides, Lieutenant General Hun Manet pledged to forward the proposals raised by the Thai deputy prime minister on the joint moves against narcotics, forest fires and haze, as well as on the upgrade of two temporary border checkpoints to be permanent ones to the Cambodian government for its quick actions. Lieutenant General Hun Manet took the opportunity to extend his best wishes for Thailand's roles as the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2019 and for the Royal Coronation of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun in early next month. (TNA)