Prime Minister Hun Sen and top Cambodian military leaders met Thursday with a Vietnamese military delegation, focusing on solving the border issue and building military cooperation, officials said.
“The purpose of the delegation is to strengthen relations, solidarity and cooperation between the two countries’ armies,” Major General Mol Roeup said after the meeting. “The delegation agreed to solve the border issue by peaceful means and not use troops to solve the problem.”
Details weren’t disclosed.
The issue has sparked a number of demonstrations in Phnom Penh where students have marched to the embassies of Vietnam, Thailand and Laos to complain about border encroachment.
According to Mol Roeup, the Vietnamese delegation, which was led by Vietnam’s deputy defense minister Le Vandung, offered as a goodwill gesture scholarships for Cambodian military students who wished to study in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese delegation, which arrived in Phnom Penh Tuesday, also conducted a series of high-level talks with co-Defense Minister Tea Banh, RCAF Commander-in-Chief Ke Kim Yan and visited Cambodian military training installations.
Mom Son, secretary to RCAF deputy commander-in-chief Pol Saroeun, said Thursday the Vietnamese delegation was slated to depart Pochentong Airport after meeting with Hun Sen Thursday evening at his Phnom Penh residence.