Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos push for efficient cross-border driving

Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos push for efficient cross-border driving

Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos have reaffirmed their commitment to improving cross-border road transport and strengthening connectivity through three bilateral and trilateral meetings held in Siem Reap from Tuesday to Thursday. The meetings included the 11th Cambodia-Vietnam Bilateral Meeting, the seventh Cambodia-Laos Bilateral Meeting and the second Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Trilateral Meeting on Land Transport.

Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) Pen Borean led the Cambodian delegation.

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Director General of the Department for Roads Phan Thi Thu Hien under Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction, while the Lao delegation was led by Director General of the Department of Transport Chanthala Phimmachack under Laos’ Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

Around 150 representatives from relevant ministries and institutions, authorities, JICA experts and the private sector from the three countries attended the meetings.

The discussions focused on reviewing the implementation of outcomes from previous meetings and following up on bilateral agreements, protocols and memoranda of understanding related to land transport.

Participants also discussed challenges affecting cross-border road transport and sought common solutions to improve the efficiency of transport between the three countries.

The meetings are part of ongoing cooperation between Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos aimed at facilitating cross-border movement, strengthening connections between neighbouring countries and supporting deeper regional integration.

The latest talks also marked an important step in reviving Cambodia-Laos transport cooperation. The previous Cambodia-Laos Bilateral Meeting was held in 2016, meaning the mechanism had been inactive for about 10 years.

Meanwhile, the 10th Cambodia-Vietnam Bilateral Meeting and the first Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Trilateral Meeting were held in Vietnam in 2025.

The three meetings in Siem Reap underscore the countries’ shared commitment to improving cross-border transport and creating more efficient connectivity to support trade, economic cooperation and regional integration.

khmertimeskh