Delegation of Gia Lai Department of Foreign Affairs Visits Ratanakiri Province, Kingdom of Cambodia

Overview of the working session between the delegation and the Khmer-Vietnam Association, Ratanakiri Provincial Branch

The delegation was received at the headquarters of the Office of the Provincial Administration Committee of Ratanakiri by Mr. Mo Setluy, Acting Chief of the Office, together with leaders of several departments and agencies of Ratanakiri Province.

At the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the results of the implementation of the Minutes of the Cooperation Conference for the 2022–2025 period between Gia Lai Province and Ratanakiri Province, signed by the leaders of the two provinces on March 29, 2022. They also discussed difficulties and outstanding issues in recent years, particularly in the fields of border trade, import and export, activities at Lệ Thanh–Oyadav International Border Gate, and transportation. In addition, the two sides proposed solutions to address these challenges and outlined viewpoints, objectives, and key areas of cooperation to be discussed, agreed upon, and implemented between Gia Lai Province and Ratanakiri Province for the 2026-2030 period.

The meeting took place in an open and friendly atmosphere. Both sides acknowledged the positive results achieved during the 2022-2025 period and frankly discussed existing difficulties and obstacles, including cumbersome entry and exit procedures; unsynchronized opening hours on the two sides of the border gate; plant quarantine requirements and certificates of origin for small-scale goods that have created difficulties for Ratanakiri Province’s exports to Gia Lai Province; and the quota of 800 commercial vehicles licensed for Viet Nam-Cambodia cross-border transport, which does not meet the demand for import-export activities. On this basis, the two sides agreed on feasible solutions to be included in the agenda for the upcoming meeting of the leaders of the two provinces, tentatively scheduled for early 2026.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Kha, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, stated: “Gia Lai Province attaches great importance to promoting cooperation in trade, import-export, and investment with Ratanakiri Province. However, current trade and import-export activities are not commensurate with the potential of both sides. Gia Lai’s viewpoint is that both sides should commit to creating the most favorable conditions for people and businesses to trade, do business, and invest, on the basis of full compliance with the laws and regulations of the two countries. The goal is that by 2030, import-export turnover through Lệ Thanh-Oyadav pair of international border gates will exceed USD 2 billion.”

Within the framework of the visit, the delegation also paid a visit to Khmer-Vietnam Association, Ratanakiri Provincial Branch, to inquire about the health and living conditions of the Association’s leaders and Vietnamese expatriates living and working in Ratanakiri Province. Mr. Nguyen Van An, Chairman of the Association, shared difficulties faced by the Association, including issues related to legal documentation for overseas Vietnamese residents and procedures for the issuance of work visas to the teacher teaching Vietnamese to children of Vietnamese origin. Mr. Nguyen Van Duc, Deputy Director of Gia Lai Department of Foreign Affairs, acknowledged these concerns and stated that he would report to and propose to Gia Lai Provincial People’s Committee appropriate support measures for the overseas Vietnamese community. He also noted that the Department would coordinate and exchange information with the Embassy of Viet Nam in Cambodia to seek guidance on the issuance of work visas for the Vietnamese-language teacher of the Association.