PMs affirm friendship on anniversary of ties
PRIME Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-ocha exchanged congratulatory letters as the two n e i g h b o u r i n g k i n g d o ms marked the 70th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations on December 19.
In his letter to Prayut which was published by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hun Sen observed that bilateral relations had developed tremendously since the commencement of diplomatic ties in 1950.
“Building on the solid foundation of traditional friendship, good neighbourliness and mutual understanding, our two kingdoms have broadened cooperation that has encompassed many areas of shared interests, namely politics and security, trade and investment, education, infrastructure and people-to-people linkages.
“On this note, I would like to reaffirm my unwavering commitment to working closely with Your Excellency to elevate our long-standing partnership to new heights, particularly as we overcome the unprecedented Covid-19 crisis and bring peace, stability and sustainable prosperity to our two nations, the ASEAN community and beyond,” Hun Sen wrote.
Likewise, Prayut sent a letter to Hun Sen on the same day affirming that the relationship between the two countries has never been stronger. Partnership continues to expand with cooperation and mutual benefits in all fields.
He said border areas are now
enjoy ing t he fruits of enduring peace and stabilit y. Flouri s h i ng c r os s-border t r ade continues to create more jobs and bring better livelihoods for the peoples of both count r i e s . Bi l a t e r a l t r a de ha s grown from around $300 million 20 yea rs ago to over $ 9 bil lion last year.
“Thai investments in Cambodia have been on the increase, contributing positively to Cambodia’s economy, while Thailand’s economy has a lso benefited greatly from Cambodia’s workforce and economic cooperation,” he said.
The two nations have made significant progress in enhancing their infrastr ucture connections, including t he construction of t he Thailand-Cambodia Friendship Bridge linking Sa Kaeo and Banteay Meanchey prov inces and t he rev iva l of railway ser v ices t hat will connect many Thai and Cambodian communities in the near future, Pray ut said.
“More recently, we have worked side by side to minimise t he impacts of t he Covid-19 pandemic on our economies and societies, which paves the way for even closer cooperation to address f uture regiona l and internationa l challenges.
“It is my firm belief t hat t he friendship between Thailand and Cambodia is strong and enduring and that our peoples, especia lly our new generations of young people, will continue to work toget her towards an even brighter f uture for our common peace, prosperit y and development,” Pray uth said.
In a December 18 message commemorating the anniversar y, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Internationa l Cooperation Prak Sok honn noted that in first 10 months t his year, bilatera l trade reached $ 5.57 billion despite interruptions imposed by the pandemic.