Vietnam, Cambodia Strengthen Border Cooperation for Peace and Development

Vietnam and Cambodia are strengthening their cooperation to foster peace, friendship, cooperation, and sustainable development in their shared border areas. The two countries consider leveraging international border gate pairs as key to international connectivity. This is expected to reduce logistics costs, boost competitiveness, expand market access, attract investment, and promote socio-economic development in both nations. Recently, assessments were conducted to evaluate conditions for launching international cross-border road transport through the Tan Nam–Meun Chey border gate pair, alongside a review of the implementation of the road transport agreement between the two countries. Beyond strengthening ties with Cambodia, Vietnam is also deepening its engagement with regional and international partners. Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership with China remains one of Vietnam's top priorities. South Korea is identified as one of Vietnam's most important partners in its regional foreign policy, with Vietnam viewing South Korea as a trusted partner across a wide range of fields. The 50-year relationship with the Philippines exemplifies the growth of both countries and their peoples as friends, trusted partners, and close neighbors within the ASEAN family. Domestically, Vietnam is accelerating efforts to achieve its economic growth targets. For instance, Lang Son province has been instructed to vigorously implement its growth plan for the second half of 2026, aiming for an annual GRDP growth of at least 10%. This includes clear accountability across agencies, regular updates to monthly and quarterly growth scenarios, close monitoring of key growth drivers, and periodic reporting to ensure timely policy responses. The country's GDP now surpasses $514 billion, with per capita GDP exceeding $5,026 annually. Alongside economic gains, Vietnam has also made strides in infrastructure development, poverty reduction, human development, and global integration. Concurrently, Vietnam is addressing domestic challenges. Proposals to amend and supplement certain articles of the Law on Publication, for example, include tougher measures to combat copyright infringement, especially in the digital space. In a somber note, 81 remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and military experts were recovered during a recent search campaign in Myanmar, awaiting identification, highlighting Vietnam's ongoing efforts for its fallen personnel and their families. Source: VietnamPlus English