Former Prime Minister Hun Sen recently called for strengthening the relations between Cambodia and Thailand in areas such as trade, labour and tourism by elevating the current Strategic Partnership to a notch higher to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Mr Hun Sen, President of the Supreme Privy Council to His Majesty the King and President of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), made the remarks while receiving a visit from Wanmuhamadnoor Matha, President of the National Assembly and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand, at the January 7 Palace in Phnom Penh on Friday.
The former Prime Minister’s call to elevate the ties assumes importance in the wake of the resolve of both countries to resume talks on joint exploration of the oil and gas reserves in the 26,000 sq km Overlapping Claims Area (OCA) of the Gulf of Thailand.
A Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is an extensive form of bilateral cooperation between two countries, implying an all-encompassing approach to relations by collaborating on various issues across multiple sectors, including political, economic, social, cultural, and security.
A Strategic Partnership, on the other hand, is a form of bilateral relationship where two countries decide to cooperate closely on specific strategic areas or shared interests.
According to a statement by CPP, the former Cambodian Prime Minister also thanked the Thailand government for its attention to Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand. Out of an estimated 1.3 million Cambodian migrant workers, over 1.2 million are working in Thailand.
Mr Hun Sen also stressed the need to boost regional cooperation, especially in the ASEAN, ACMECS and GMS frameworks for the benefit of the two countries.
On his part, Wanmuhamadnoor Matha lauded the good relations and cooperation between Cambodia and Thailand as neighbours and reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to take care of the Cambodian people working and doing business in the country.
Matha and his high-level delegation arrived in Phnom Penh on March 21 for a three-day official and friendly visit, at the invitation of Khuon Sudary, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia.
During their stay, the delegation also held a meeting with Cheam Yeap, Acting President of the Cambodian National Assembly, and paid a courtesy visit to Say Chhum, Acting Head of State. He also attended the 8th Ramadan Iftar Dinner, held on March 21 under the presidency of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
Thailand is Cambodia’s second-largest trade partner in ASEAN with a trade turnover of $3.71 billion in 2023. The bilateral trade, however, showed a decrease of 17 percent last year from $4.47 billion recorded in 2022, according to a General Department of Customs and Excise report.
However, both sides are devising plans to raise the trade volume to $15 billion by 2025, reports said. Cambodia’s main exports to Thailand include textiles, agricultural products, gems, raw materials and semi-finished products.
It may also be recalled that Prime Minister Hun Manet discussed the OCA issue with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin during his official visit to Bangkok on February 7 in a bid to resolve the contentious matter by arriving at a solution agreeable to both sides.
A 2001 MoU between Thailand and Cambodia outlined a framework to settle the dispute, but in 2009, amid tension between the two countries, the Thai Cabinet unilaterally scrapped the MoU, adding further uncertainty on how to solve the dispute.
Energy experts point out that even with a 50-50 revenue sharing model for OCA reserves, reportedly mooted by Cambodia in previous talks, Thailand would be the largest beneficiary, primarily due to the country having a more developed oil and gas industry.
According to the experts, a Joint Development Area (JDA) within OCA seems to be the only realistic solution for both countries to develop and manage the huge energy reserves. If the talks prove successful, Thailand and Cambodia will have a new petroleum source that could generate huge economic value.
Source:Khmer Times
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<p>Time: 2024 By: Ministry of Industry and Trade</p>
