During the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related meetings, Thai Prime Minister Pei Tongtan and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet held significant bilateral talks in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. A spokesperson from the Thai Prime Minister's Office summarized the main contents of the discussions.
Prime Minister Pei Tongtan first emphasized the deep friendship and strategic partnership between Thailand and Cambodia, calling for continued strengthening of cooperation to benefit the peoples of both nations. He also invited Prime Minister Hun Manet to officially visit Thailand to further deepen bilateral relations.
In terms of economic cooperation, Prime Minister Pei Tongtan proposed several key initiatives:
1. Border Economic Zone Cooperation: Relevant agencies from both countries should continue to advance cooperation based on the action plan for the Border Economic Zone.
2. "Six Countries, One Destination" project: Aimed at promoting tourism development within the region and attracting more visitors.
3. Rail Freight Services: By promoting rail freight services, the aim is to reduce cross-border logistics costs. Additionally, Thailand plans to strengthen logistics links along the southern economic corridor to promote strategic cooperation between Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
The two sides also reached a consensus on jointly addressing cross-border issues affecting the lives of people in the border areas of both countries, particularly the issue of online scams. Thailand welcomed the special joint task force established in cooperation with Cambodian police, which has made significant progress in combating human trafficking related to online scams, including rescuing victims and dismantling criminal networks. Furthermore, regarding drug smuggling, both sides agreed to enhance intelligence sharing and instructed the governors of the border provinces to discuss how to further improve anti-drug cooperation.
Finally, the leaders expressed satisfaction with the close relationship between the peoples of the two countries and looked forward to jointly celebrating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Cambodia next year. This celebration is expected to further solidify the friendly relations between the two nations.
