At a regular press briefing on the afternoon of October 17, reporters asked the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to comment on Cambodia's decision to withdraw from the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle.

Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang stated that the solidarity, friendship, and trust between Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are invaluable assets for all three nations.

She emphasized that Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia have multiple cooperation mechanisms, including the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle. Each mechanism has its own value and contribution to strengthening the friendly relations and promoting the development of the three countries.

The spokesperson noted that over the past 25 years, the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle has played a vital role in promoting traditional relations and economic cooperation, trade, and people-to-people exchanges, while also contributing to narrowing the development gap and improving the lives of people in the border areas of the three countries.

"Vietnam will continue consulting with Laos and Cambodia to promote deeper and more practical cooperation among the three nations in line with the new development stage, benefiting the people of all three countries, strengthening the ASEAN Community, and contributing to peace, cooperation, and development in the region," Pham affirmed.

At the end of September, during a meeting of the Deputy Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister confirmed that Cambodia's withdrawal from the Development Triangle would not affect other bilateral or multilateral cooperation mechanisms among the three countries.

The three Deputy Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers agreed to continue maintaining and enhancing the effectiveness of trilateral mechanisms, advancing practical cooperation between their Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and increasing the exchange of information, viewpoints, and coordination on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle was an initiative proposed by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen during the first high-level meeting of the three prime ministers in Vientiane in 1999.

The initiative aims to implement cooperation programs in the border areas of the three countries across various sectors, including transportation, telecommunications, energy, investment, trade, agriculture, tourism, health, culture, and education, thereby promoting economic and social development, poverty reduction, and strengthening connectivity among the three nations.

The scope of the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle includes 13 provinces: Ratanakiri, Stung Treng, Mondulkiri, and Kratie in eastern Cambodia; Attapeu, Salavan, Sekong, and Champasak in southern Laos; and Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Binh Phuoc in Vietnam's Central Highlands.

Tran Thuong