PHNOM PENH – Cambodia and Vietnam have agreed to strengthen border cooperation and crack down on cross-border crimes.

The agreement on the outlook for 2025 came as the countries’ interior ministers met to discuss cooperation.

Praising the cooperation, Seun Sam, a policy analyst at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, suggested they stick to mutual respect for existing agreements and strict law enforcement to enhance people-to-people connection.

During his visit to Vietnam on Feb. 18 and 19, Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Sokha met Luong Tam Quang, Vietnamese Minister of Public Security, in Hanoi to discuss border cooperation and operations against cross-border crimes.

Both praised the cooperative work between Cambodian and Vietnamese authorities in 2024, and showed their commitment to strengthen the operation by signing another agreement on 2025 cooperation, Interior Ministry spokesman Ren Ratanak said.

“Each country takes turn in leading the cooperation,” he said. 

“As for completing it last year, Minister Sar Sokha applauded Vietnam’s determination, which shows a high attention to cooperation undertaken by the ministries and to continuing this close relationship.”

In response, Quang expressed his appreciation towards the Cambodian side for the visit.

Both ministers discussed border security maintenance, the border, law practice and information exchange responding to cross-border crimes, human resource training, investigation and criminal transfers, exchange of deletion at all levels, and close relationship between border authorities.

Both agreed to cooperate in cracking down on global crimes such as online scams, human trafficking and drugs trafficking as well as armed war and geopolitical competition.

“The ministers signed five important documents at their meeting on Feb. 19 in Hanoi. One of these is the cooperation in protecting security and building a peace border, friendship, stability and development,” Ratanak said.

“They also agreed on preventing and cracking down on crimes and maintaining order and social safety; exchanging delegations for official visits and medical treatments; training officials; and in logistic sector and technical equipment.”

Vietnam also promised 30 skilled dog companions to Cambodia. Of these, 15 dogs are for demining and the others are for drug detection.

Seun Sam said Cambodia and Vietnam have a good relationship but it is complicated by the feelings of their peoples because of past events.

“The two countries have a good relation right now as neighboring countries, ASEAN member countries, and especially as old friends who helped each other in the history. And, they have done well in cracking down cross-border crimes, so far,” he said.

The two countries had signed many memorandums of understanding and agreements and had worked in cooperation.

To further strengthen relations, especially in people-to-people connection, they are obliged to have respect for each other in terms of sovereignty as good friends and good neighbors, respecting agreements both openly and behind the scenes.

“To overcome this hardship, each side has to earn more trust from the people through enforcing the law and respecting existing agreements,” Sam said.