Phnom Penh (FN), Feb. 8 – During the annual meeting of the Ministry of Labour on Thursday (Feb. 8), Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet briefed three fruitful outcomes of his recent official visit to Thailand on 7 February 2024.

The three main outcomes are as follows:

First, diplomatic politics and security. Both sides discussed further enhancing cooperation in all sectors and elevating the bilateral relations from "Partnership for Peace and Prosperity" to "Strategic Partnership".

In this sense, it benefits the people in the private sector, education, culture, and agriculture as it opens new doors to strengthen relations between the two nations.

Second, the economy. The Royal Government of Cambodia proposed many initiatives, and the Royal Government of Thailand agreed and continued discussions to strengthen mechanisms to boost trade relations. Samdech Thipadei also met with the Thai private sector through Cambodia-Thailand Business Forum.

The main goal of the Royal Government of Cambodia is to promote economic development and job creation for the citizens. On that occasion, the Royal Government of Cambodia signed five Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with Thailand.

Both nations agreed to joint exploitation to extract oil from Overlapping Claims Areas after 20 years of deadlock.

Thirdly, regarding labor, the Royal Government of Cambodia, committed to safeguarding its citizens wherever they reside, reached an agreement with Thailand. This includes establishing a Cambodian Consulate General in Songkhla to enhance convenience for worker protection in southern Thailand. Additionally, there's a reduction in work visa fees until 2027, coordination of social security systems, and acknowledgment of seniority.

Premier Hun Manet also asked his Thai counterpart to provide work visas on workers' passports when crossing the border to reduce the difficulties for workers and to reduce costs without having to travel from the provinces to the embassy.
=FRESH NEWS