Connecting the happy shores of Vietnam - Cambodia

Vietnam and Cambodia have had many activities to promote investment in infrastructure and transportation facilities to connect the border and border gate areas with major economic centers of each country.

Closer together through bridges

Long Binh - Chrey Thom Bridge connecting the border of An Giang province (Vietnam) with Kandal ( Cambodia ) was officially put into operation in 2017. This is the bridge connecting the happy shores between the people of the two countries, ending the ferry trips across the two borders. On a motorbike going up the road to the bridge in the cool afternoon breeze, Mr. Hoang Van Tam (a resident of Long Binh town) happily said: "Since the opening of Long Binh - Chrey Thom Bridge, the lives of people here have improved, thanks to buying and selling groceries, serving food and drinks in the evening. Currently, people have set up many kiosks on both sides of the road to buy and sell, in the afternoon it is very crowded here. Cambodian people come here to visit relatives, do business, and get medical treatment very crowded...".

Inauguration ceremony of Long Binh - Chrey Thom bridge in 2017. Photo: Ngoc Minh

In addition, the flow of people, vehicles and goods through Khanh Binh - Chrey Thom border gate is increasing, the import and export goods of the people of both sides are increasingly rich and diverse. On the occasion of the 32nd SEA Games held in Cambodia, Mr. Le Trong, Ho Chi Minh City and his group of friends departed from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh (Cambodia) to cheer for U22 Vietnam. Mr. Trong woke up at 4am to catch a bus, and before 6am his group was at Moc Bai border gate to have breakfast, exchange riel and complete border procedures. It takes more than 6 hours from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh. With convenient transportation between the two countries, with only 3 days and 2 nights and 3 million VND, each person in Mr. Trong's group explored most of the famous places of the capital Phnom Penh and cheered for the Vietnamese team. It is known that Vietnam - Cambodia share 10 international border gates, 11 main border gates and 20 secondary border gates. A series of infrastructure projects connecting Vietnam and Cambodia have been put into use in recent times, contributing to increasing trade activities between the two close neighboring countries. In addition, Vietnam has supported Cambodia with preferential credit capital to complete the renovation and upgrading of Road 78 in Cambodia and the section connecting the two border control stations of Le Thanh - Oyadav ...

People complete exit procedures through Moc Bai border gate. Photo: Ngoc Minh

Promoting Vietnam – Cambodia investment

The Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway and the Ho Chi Minh City-Moc Bai Expressway being implemented in the two main countries open up commitments from the leaders of the two countries. It is known that the Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway (bordering Tay Ninh province) was started by Cambodia in June 2023. The expressway is more than 135km long. The starting point is the Phnom Penh Ring Road 3; the section passing through Kandal province is 4.1km long; through Prey Veng province is 70.9km long and through Svay Rieng province to the border is 60.1km long. The investment cost for the project is about 1.6 billion USD. According to the design, the road is 25.5m wide with 4 lanes, 2 lanes in each direction. This expressway is built to promote connectivity, economic and social development in the border area; especially to increase import and export activities of goods, trade exchange between Cambodia and Vietnam, as well as with countries in the region. In Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai expressway project has been included by the Government in the list of important national projects and works, key to the transport sector. Recently, the Ministry of Transport , the People's Committees of Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh and representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Public Works of the Kingdom of Cambodia met to discuss the plan to connect the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai expressway and the Phnom Penh - Bavet expressway. The project is more than 50 km long, passing through Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh. The project has a starting point at the intersection with Ring Road 3 and an ending point connecting to National Highway 22. The project has a total investment of more than 20,000 billion VND, with the project implementation period from 2023 to 2027. Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Bui Xuan Cuong said that the connection of the two expressways Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai and Phnom Penh - Bavet will be chosen through the existing pair of border gates (Moc Bai border gate and Bavet border gate). Therefore, the Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee proposed that the Tay Ninh Provincial People's Committee invest in upgrading and expanding the 5km section of the Trans-Asia Highway (National Highway 22) from Moc Bai border gate to the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai expressway interchange to 10-12 lanes to meet the requirements of transporting and trading goods between the two countries. At the same time, he proposed that the Ministry of Transport and the Tay Ninh Provincial People's Committee continue to coordinate with the Cambodian Ministry of Transport and Public Works in researching and proposing a planning for the connecting route. Calculate appropriate investment plans and phases to directly connect the two expressways when National Highway 22 no longer meets the demand. If completed on schedule, the Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway and Ho Chi Minh City-Moc Bai Expressway will serve as one of the economic development corridors, an important urbanization axis of the region and a trans-Asian expressway connecting economic centers, border gates and urban areas of Vietnam and Cambodia with the regional and ASEAN economic zones' international seaports and airports. “Cambodia wishes to participate in the production chain with Vietnam, have more investment cooperation projects with Vietnam, especially in the fields of electronics and automobiles…” is the determination that former Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen affirmed to Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and businesses of the two countries present at the Vietnam - Cambodia Investment and Trade Promotion Forum in 2022. Mr. Hun Sen's affirmation is similar to the strategic vision shared by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the forum, not only connecting the two economies of Vietnam and Cambodia but also making efforts to research and build an East-West economic corridor connecting the economies of Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia, including building road and railway routes connecting each country's regions and countries.