Ha Tien boosts cooperation with Cambodian border localities

Kien Giang (VNA) – The border city of Ha Tien in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has recently been paying special attention to maintaining and promoting friendship and comprehensive cooperation with localities in Cambodia, contributing to fostering socio-economic development in the locality.

According to the provincial Department of Foreign Relations, trade exchange and export-import activities between Ha Tien and Cambodian localities were implemented through the Ha Tien International Border Gate and the Giang Thanh National Border Gate.

Kien Giang has signed cooperation agreements with Cambodian localities, namely Kep, Kampot, Preah Sihanouk, Koh Kong, and Phnom Penh. The bonds mainly focus on the fields of agriculture; aquaculture; trade; healthcare; education; culture-sports; tourism; defence-security; people-to-people diplomacy; and in searching, repatriating, and reburying remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Cambodia at different periods.

Officers and soldiers of the border guard station at the Ha Tien International Border Gate have worked hard in implementing social security models to help improve the living conditions of local residents, especially those living in border areas. This has contributed to promoting exchange and tightening the solidarity between people of Vietnam and Cambodia.

Forty years ago, in Ha Tien, the Vietnamese army and people fought valiantly to protect the peace of the south-western border region of the country.

From 1977-1978, the Da Dung and Thach Dong mountain areas in Ha Tien were outposts in the southwest border defence war.

According to Colonel Dinh Quoc Khai, former Political Commissar of the Kien Giang Provincial Military Command, the first battle of Kien Giang soldiers with Pol Pot troops was on June 14, 1975 at the Thach Dong defence post. The Pol Pot troops were quickly taken down in just one night.

Battalion 207 continued to block the border, breaking the opposition’s conspiracy to infiltrate into Ha Tien.

After a period of solid defence, in December 1978, Battalion 207, local troops, and regular forces from Ha Tien began to attack the Pol Pot troops, fulfilling international mission to  neighbouring Cambodia and helping the country recover its administration. –VNA