Senate President Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, who had initiated the establishment of the Cambodia-Laos-Viet Nam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) when he was the Prime Minister of Cambodia, has reconfirmed the significance of this CLV-DTA cooperation framework.

In a live special statement delivered from his residence in Takhmao town, Kandal province this afternoon, Samdech Techo Hun Sen said he was the one who introduced the initiative to establish the CLV-DTA, not Viet Nam in 1995 as disseminated by ill-will people, during his visit to Laos for the first Summit of CLV Prime Ministers in 1999.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen added that he had taken part in 11 CLV Summits since 1999, and the 12th Summit will be hosted by Cambodia later this year.

The former Cambodian Premier highlighted four main factors for the creation of CLV-DTA, including economic connectivity focusing on infrastructure, electricity, trade exchange, tourism and so on; security and national defence, especially the fight against h
uman and drug trafficking, illegal logging, terrorism, militia groups, …; human resource training and health services; and cross-border disaster management cooperation, in response particularly to drought, wildfire, etc.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen made the statement in reaction to news circulated widely on social media in the past few days, accusing Cambodian leaders of giving four northern provinces (Stung Treng, Rattanakiri, Mondulkiri and Kratie) to Viet Nam.

He took the opportunity to call on the competent authorities to take strict legal action against those who fabricated and disseminated this fake news, pointing out that three people have so far been arrested in Siem Reap province.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen also asked the Ministry of Commerce to release the agreements and relevant documents adopted during the 11 previous CLV Summits for the public to check whether there are any agreement on land swaps approved by the CLV leaders.

‘There is no agreement on territorial exchange, but for socio-economic, securi
ty and national defence benefits. Each party controls its own territory and development. […] It is about complementing each other,’ he explained, stressing that there is no point stating about the land loss or joint creation of a new nation there.

The CLV-DTA was officially established on Nov. 28, 2004 in Vientiane to bolster and consolidate friendly relations, tighten solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, with a focus on socio-economic development, defence-security cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges for the sustainable development of the three countries and the region.

The CLV-DTA is composed of 13 provinces, namely Stung Treng, Rattanakiri, Mondulkiri, and Kratie of Cambodia; Sekong, Attapeu, Salavan, and Champassak of Laos; and Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Binh Phuoc of Viet Nam.

By 2023, the Royal Government of Cambodia has spent about US$3.85 billion to boost the development of northeastern part of the country aimed at connecting economic flow with the development triangle are
a between the three neighbouring countries – Cambodia-Laos-Viet Nam – through the construction of various infrastructures, industrial parks and economic centres. These funds include US$1.5 billion in Kratie, US$1.2 billion in Stung Treng, US$728 million in Rattanakiri and US$431 million in Mondulkiri.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse