Hun Sen, Lao Premier Agree I To Formalize Most of Border

Cambodia and Laos agreed yesterday to change 88 percent of the temporary border posts separating the two countries to permanent border markers, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said.

During a two-hour meeting at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Prime Minister Hun Sen and Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh also agreed to work toward formalizing the remaining 12 percent of posts and eventually sign a final demarcation agreement on the entire border, Mr Namhong told reporters at the ministry.

?We have signed the border demarcation agreement where previously we had posted temporary poles, to use the temporary poles as the [official] border poles,? Mr Namhong said. ?We agreed to [formalize] the border poles up to 100 percent in order to sign a convention on the final border demarcation between Cambodia and Laos.?

Mr Namhong said the two leaders also agreed to promote cooperation between the countries, strengthen economic ties and make more scholarships available for exchange students.

?We discussed providing more scholarships for Cambodian students to study in Laos and for Laotians [to study in] Cambodia,? he said, adding that Mr Hun Sen might reciprocate Mr Bouasone?s visit with a trip to Vientiane for the Southeast Asian Games, which begin Dec 9.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said efforts to formalize the final 12 percent of border posts between the two countries would not lead to any changes in the way the neighbors share the area?s resources.

After meeting Mr Hun Sen, Mr Bouasone visited Senate President Chea Sim and National Assembly President Heng Samrin, Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Koung said. The Lao premier will leave Phnom Penh today after paving his respects to King Norodom Sihamoni, Mr Koung added.

Sourced = The Cambodia Daily