Upon the invitation of His Excellency General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Thailand and led the Cambodian Delegation for the 2nd Thailand – Cambodia Joint Cabinet Retreat (JCR) in Bangkok, Thailand during 18 – 19 December 2015.

The visit and JCR coincided with the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two Kingdoms and took place prior to the coming into effect of the ASEAN Community at the end of this year.

Under the theme of “Partnership for Peace and Prosperity”, the official visit and the JCR celebrated Thai-Cambodian close and long standing relations based on growing interdependence, mutual trust, shared peace and prosperity. The official visit took place on Friday 18 December 2015, during which the two Prime Ministers together with Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, and Senior Officials had a fruitful bilateral meetings at the Government House. Both sides placed high emphasis on further strengthening cooperation in wide range of issues of mutual interests, covering political, security, economic and social issues.

In the afternoon of 18 December, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN, Prime Minister of Cambodia, delivered a keynote address to leaders of the Thai business community to promote trade and investment in Cambodia. 

The official visit concluded with an official dinner hosted by His Excellency General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, at the Government House. The function also celebrated the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Kingdom of Cambodia.

On 19 December 2015, the two Prime Ministers co-chaired the 2nd Thailand – Cambodia Joint Cabinet Retreat. The two Governments agreed on measures to implement the issues of cooperation discussed at the bilateral meetings on 18 December 2015 and at the JCR with an emphasis on bilateral security, connectivity, trade and investment and border development in the following areas:

          - On security, both sides agreed to expedite the commencement of  coordinated patrol along their border area to combat illegal logging and further enhance cooperation on combating drug trafficking, human trafficking and transnational crimes;

           - On connectivity, the two sides agreed to improve road transport, coastal shipping and rail transport services.  Train service between Bangkok and Phnom Penh would start operation by the end of 2016. They also agreed to expedite the opening of two additional international check points in Sa Kaeo province and Banteay Meanchey province, namely Nong Ian - Stung Bot and Ban Pa Rai - O’ Neang to facilitate the movement of goods and promote the development of their Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the border area between the SEZs in Sa Kaeo province in Thailand and Banteay Meanchey province in Cambodia and in Trat province in Thailand and Koh Kong province in Cambodia through linking infrastructure, customs facilitation, free movement of people and labour in the area, facilitation of transportation, and joint utilisation of utility services.  The afore-mentioned international check points and the SEZs will transform the border area into a major trading and production hub and connect  Dawei (Myanmar), Bangkok (Thailand), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) under the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), Southern Economic Corridor (SEC);

          - On trade and investment, the two Prime Ministers agreed to triple the current bilateral trade volume by 2020.  To facilitate more trade and investment, especially border trade, both sides will implement the Single Window Inspection and the Common Control Area at their main international points of entry and will finalise the Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation soonest;

          - On agricultural cooperation, they agreed to convene the Working Group on Agricultural Cooperation to discuss measures to strengthen cooperation on agriculture at the earliest opportunity.  The Thai side will provide technical support  on a project-based basis in the next three years;

          - On public health, both sides will intensify cooperation, especially along the border areas, including development of a simplified cross border referral system and setting up of cross border ‘sister hospitals” arrangements.  The Thai side will provide technical support to help capacity building of Cambodian medical professionals and public health workers.

         - On labour cooperation, they welcomed the signing of the MOU on Labour Cooperation and Agreement on Employment of Workers and encouraged the agencies concerned to fully implement these MOU and Agreement soonest.  The Thai side will continue to provide technical support on labour skills development along border and to conduct training courses at the Thailand-Cambodia Skills Development Center in Poun Phnom, Phnom Penh.  This cooperation will enhance labour cooperation and protection as well as efforts against human trafficking and illegal immigration;

        - On tourism, they agreed to further promote “Two Kingdoms, One Destination” scheme to attract more tourists in the two countries such as world heritage sites and historical parks and also promote tourism by sea links, especially among Thailand – Cambodia – Vietnam.

       - Both sides encouraged the friendship associations of the two countries to intensify their interaction for the mutual interests and prosperity of their peoples.

At the conclusion of the official visit and the Joint Cabinet Retreat, five documents were signed namely:

1) Joint Declaration of the 2nd Thailand – Cambodia Joint Cabinet Retreat, providing   direction for bilateral relations and future cooperation;

2) MOU on the Development of Cross Border Control Facilities at Nong Ian (Thailand) and Stung Bot (Cambodia);

3) MOU on Labour Cooperation;

4) Agreement on Employment of Workers;

5) Agreement on Cooperation between the Thai – Cambodia Business Council and Cambodia – Thailand Business Council.

The official visit and the 2nd Thailand – Cambodia Joint Cabinet Retreat marked another milestone in the relations of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Kingdom of Cambodia. Leaders of both countries exchanged views in a frank and friendly manner for the mutual benefits of their two countries and peoples.  The strengthened ties between Thailand and Cambodia will help to enhance the development of the ASEAN Community which will be realized at the end of 2015.

The Cambodian delegation expressed their deep appreciation to the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand for the warm welcome and the generous hospitality accorded to them during their stay in Bangkok and for the excellent arrangements made for the Cambodian delegation during the official visit of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the Joint Cabinet Retreat.

Both sides agreed that the next Joint Cabinet Retreat would be held in the Kingdom of Cambodia at a mutually convenient date. The date and venue will be communicated through diplomatic channel.