The Vietnamese delegation was led by Senior Colonel Pham Manh Thang, Deputy Chief of the Department of Foreign Relations, while the Cambodian delegation was headed by General Sao Sokha, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and Commander of the Royal Cambodian Gendarmerie.

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General Sao Sokha, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and Commander of the Royal Cambodian Gendarmerie (second from right) at the meeting with the Vietnamese delegation

After the  inspection trip, representatives of the two sides agreed on several contents in preparation for the first Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange.

Particularly, the exchange will consist of numerous activities such as flag and border marker saluting ceremonies, joint border patrols, visits to a civilian-military clinic in the area of Hoa Lu International Border Gate and a primary school in Cambodia.

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The Vietnamese delegation surveying the scene

The two sides also agreed on the logo of the exchange. After the exchange program at defense minister-level, a bilateral seminar at the deputy defense minister-level will also take place. At the  seminar, the two sides will discuss regional and international issues of shared concern and review the five-year implementation of the village-to-village twinning program.

In addition, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense will launch a healthcare program to provide health checkups and treatment and free medicines for 2,000 people, present scholarships to 100 students and 20 breeding cows to the locals of each side.

The first Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange is expected to take place in May this year.

Translated by Trung Thanh