Relevant Vietnamese and Cambodian agencies have closely coordinated to control the situation in their joint border areas and not let the border matter affect the countries’ friendship, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh said on July 23.

Foreign Ministry Spokeman Le Hai Binh (Photo: VNA)

He made the remark in response to reporters’ queries about measures to prevent the repeat of disturbances in joint border areas.

Vietnam and Cambodia have an agreement on activities in their joint border areas, especially those that have not been demarcated or planted with markers, he said, noting that recent disturbances in Vietnam-Cambodia border areas did not comply with related bilateral agreements.

The countries have also agreed to accelerate the negotiations on, demarcation and planting of border markers along their borderline under reached agreements, Binh added.

The spokesman said Vietnam does not have any comments about Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s sending of letters to the UN Secretary-General and leaders of the UK, the US and France to borrow the Bonne map that defines the borderline between Vietnam and Cambodia.

At the regular press conference, he provided further information that on December 27, 1985, Vietnam and Cambodia signed the Treaty on the Delimitation of National Boundaries between them, which took effect on February 22, 1986. On October 10, 2005, they inked a supplementary agreement to the 1985 Treaty, and the additional document began enforcement on December 6, 2005.

Based on the two agreements, the land border between Vietnam and Cambodia is showed on the Bonne map, scale 1/100,000, and the UTM map, scale 1/50,000, that was enclosed with the 1985 Treaty.

Binh emphasised that the border demarcation and border marker planting is bilateral work between Vietnam and Cambodia and conducted on the basis of the two aforementioned documents and other related bilateral agreements which are in line with international law and practices.

* Regarding the recent China’s military exercise in the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago of Vietnam, Binh said China’s military drill in the area covering islands and reefs in the northeast of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago severely violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over the chain of islands.

He said that on July 20, China’s Maritime Safety Administration announced the country would conduct a military drill from July 22 to 31 in the area covering islands and reefs in the northeast of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago.

The action not only flouts Vietnam’s sovereignty over the archipelago, but also runs counter to common perceptions reached by the two countries’ leaders, hampers the development of bilateral relations, escalates tensions, complicates the situation and threatens maritime security and safety in the region, he underlined.

Vietnam opposes and vehemently demands China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty, act responsibly, immediately desist and not repeat actions that could complicate the situation, the spokesman emphasised.

Source: vietnam+