InfoQuest, (April 22, 2019) -- General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand attended the inauguration ceremony of the Ban Nong ian-Stungbot Bridge (Thai-Cambodian Friendship Bridge) at Aranyaprathet in Sa Kaeo and delivered a speech, according to Secretary-general Wanchai Sukonthathiam, deputy prime minister's spokesman.
The Prime Minister said that this bridge is the longest bridge between the two countries and the testimony to the close ties between Thailand and Cambodia, hoping with joint efforts this bridge will be fully put into service in the near future. The government has urged relevant parties to start the construction of the second border checkpoint, roads connecting the bridge as well as major roads in Cambodia.
Taking this opportunity, the Prime Minister requested relevant departments to hold bilateral negotiations on the border crossing regulations to solve the current traffic congestion at the Ban Khlong Luek border checkpoint and to open a new cross-border freight line to facilitate the supply chain connection between the Cambodian Special Economic Zone and Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), aiming to export products to overseas market. The Prime Minister pointed out that the bridge will not only facilitate trade investment and transportation between the two countries, but also symbolize the success of the joint efforts, which will further deepen the friendship between the Thai and Cambodian people.
The Prime Minister added that the construction of the bridge is to fill the transportation gap under the framework of regional and sub-regional cooperation, especially under the framework of Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and the Ayeyawady - Chao Phraya - Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS). The construction of this bridge will help the two countries realize sustainable development in economy, transportation, society and culture, education, agriculture, and tourism, and achieve common prosperity.
The Prime Minister spoke highly of the work by the Ministry of Transport of Thailand and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia. Their joint efforts ensured the completion of the bridge construction on schedule. The cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia would continue to remain sincere, close and stable. The Prime Minister also said he was very happy that next year will mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Cambodia. The progress of bridge construction and the opening of new checkpoint coincide with the 70th anniversary.
At the ceremony, the Prime Minister met with his counterpart, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Decho Hun Sen. The two sides expressed satisfaction with the smooth progress of Thailand-Cambodia cooperation in recent days and believed it would help the two sides to establish a genuine partnership featuring peace and prosperity. A joint agreement on railway transportation, aiming to carry both goods and passengers and develop border trade between the two countries, was also sighed by the two sides.
Both of them emphasized that the Thai-Cambodian border should be improved, by cooperation in many ways like building new border crossings and inter-connected railways, to be an area of friendship and development. The border issue, added by the Prime Minister, should not limit the development of the two countries and requires negotiation and adjustment under the present system, like the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Committee (JBC).
When it comes to trade, they are both glad to see the trade volume dramatically rising. In addition, the topic of labor cooperation was also put up during their discussion. Seeing the Cambodian workers in Thailand as an important issue, the Thailand government, as the Prime Minister emphasized, will ensure the equal rights of foreign works both from Cambodia and other countries in Thailand. Besides, Cambodian Prime Minister expressed his support for Thailand as presidency in ASEAN.
Source: InfoQuest, by Tanit Tongnok / Nisarat / Rachada, translated by Xinhua Silk Road
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