Second Joint Cabinet Retreat Falls on the 65th Diplomatic Relations Anniversary
Please allow me to express my sincere thanks to Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha for a cordial welcome for me and my colleagues. It is not a coincidence that we have arranged this official visit as well as the second joint Cabinet Retreat on the celebration of the 65th anniversary of the diplomatic relation establishment between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Thailand. It is a foundation day that illustrates fruitful cooperation between the two Kingdoms.
I am so proud and satisfied with progresses made in cooperation with each other in the past. I agree with what HE Prayuth Chan-ocha had said in his speech. We have covered so much progress and we still have so much untapped potential for expanding our cooperation. Take for instance, the trade volume of 2014 has stretched into an area of 5 billion USD, in which 500 million USD is the Cambodian export to Thailand and 4,500 million USD is the volume that Thailand did to Cambodia. The Ministry of Trade of the two countries have issued a target with supports of the two Royal Government’s to achieve a two-way 15 billion USD trade volume by 2020.
In order to realize this objective, to have connectivity and transportation that facilitates trade flow is very important. We have agreed on opening more border passing points where the number of forty trucks crossing everyday will be increasing to 500. As HE Prayuth Chan-ocha has said, Thailand will take care of the construction charge and I will take care of writing a song about our friendship. I think I will choose Ramvong as the rhythm for the song as we all are familiar and can dance together.
There are many more achievements we can be proud of and can do more for the interests of our two people as HE Praytuh Chan-ocha already pointed out in his speech. You have witnessed just now the signing ceremony (of various cooperation papers) and the joint communiqué along with many other issues including those involving with workers and human resources.
Thank Royal Thai Government, People and Princess
At the same time, I would like to take this opportune moment to express my sincere thank to the Royal Thai Government and people for always providing support and assistance for the Cambodian people, especially gratitude for HRH Princess Maha Chakrei Sirindhorn for her support of projects relating to human resource training in Cambodia as well as those in Thailand. I wish to share with you information that the third joint Cabinet Retreat will take place in the Kingdom of Cambodia next year at a convenient time at HE Prayuth Chan-ocha’s choice. May I wish everyone successes and thank you so much for cordially warm hospitality and friendship./.
