Phnom Penh (VNA) - Vietnam and Cambodia has reached a “historic milestone” after they officiallyexchanged the documents ratifying the “Supplementary Treaty to the1985 Treaty on the Delimitation of National Boundaries and the 2005 SupplementaryTreaty, known as the 2019 Supplementary Treaty, said KoyPisey, Vice Chairwoman of the Cambodia Border Affairs Committee (CBAC).

The exchange was made during a ceremony after the 18th meeting ofthe Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Commissionfor Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, which was heldvia video conference on December 22.

In its article published on December 23, Cambodia’s Khmer Times quoted Pisey assaying that after the two nations completed 84 percent of border demarcation andmarker planting, the Cambodian National Assembly and Senate approved along withHis Majesty the King who signed the royal decree to promulgate it this year.

According to Pisey, based on international procedure, the two sides hadinformed to each other that they have completed their internal procedures.

Pisey said the Joint Committee on Land Border Demarcation and Marker Planting of the two countries willcontinue to negotiate the rest of the 16 percent of border demarcation.

“We appreciate past efforts. It is a difficult task but we have achieved ourgoals. We are proud of this work because we cannot let this work continue tocause difficulties,” she said.

The official added that the two sides work together to complete this work as apermanent legacy for future generations.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung emphasised that the eventcontributed to consolidating and lifting the Vietnam-Cambodia relations to a newheight.

It marked a great victory for both countries as well as a historical milestone inthe process of over 36 years of the settlement of land border issues betweenthe two nations, demonstrating the motto of “good neighbours, traditional friendship,comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability” agreed upon bytheir senior leaders, he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister PhamBinh Minh said the event that these two legal documents coming into effect demonstratesthe resolve and goodwill of both Vietnam and Cambodia in jointly dealing withcommon border issues.

The 2019 documents, along with the 1985 Treaty on the Delimitation of NationalBoundaries and the 2005 Supplementary Treaty,will serve as the fundamental legal framework for managing and developing theVietnam-Cambodia land border in the new context; firmly safeguarding security,defence, and social order and safety in border areas; fostering developmentcooperation, friendship exchange, and improvement of living standards ofresidents in border areas; and building the Vietnam-Cambodia land border intoa border of peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development, thuscontributing to the reinforcement of ASEAN’s solidarity and the promotion ofthe bloc’s prestige and stature in the world./.