Vietnam and Cambodia will collaborate to manage migrant workers and facilitate the handling of legal procedures for laborers in border areas and helping them work and live legally. Vietnam and Cambodia struck a memorandum of understanding on labor cooperation as part of the bilateral cooperative activities within the framework of the two-day official visit to Cambodia by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on November 8 and 9. The Vietnamese government leader later attended the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and related summits on November 10 to 13 November. Addressing the signing ceremony, Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung said the Government of Vietnam and the Ministry have continuously encouraged the localities bordering Cambodia to promote cooperation in migrant laborers management, poverty reduction, vocational training, and health check-ups for the poor. He also expressed his hope that the visit of the Cambodian Minister will contribute to promoting joint studies to address differences in policies on foreign laborers of the two nations. For his part, Cambodian Minister Ith Samheng noted Dung’s requests relating to further facilitating Vietnamese laborers working in Cambodia, particularly in the border areas. The memorandum of understanding is expected to mark a new step in the relations between the two ministries, and contribute to the two nations’ cooperation in general, he said. It is one of the 11 documents signed between the two countries under the witness of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen. The document was inked based on the respect of equality and mutual benefit. It is expected to strengthen the special relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia and promote the economic development of the two countries. It shares common aspirations to promote harmonized labor policies and practices, improve labor skills, promote social security, effectively manage migration for employment, and prevent labor exploitation and trafficking. The two sides agreed to encourage the bilateral technical cooperation as well as cooperative activities such as exchange of research, expertise and information on labor, employment, and vocational training, as well as labor management skills like collective bargaining, law enforcement and compliance, labor inspection, labor dispute resolution, social insurance guarantee, labor protection, freedom of association, occupational safety and health, foreign workers management, and information exchange on improving labor productivity. In particular, the two sides agreed to exchange information to prevent illegal recruitment and hiring as well as to prevent and combat labor exploitation, human trafficking. In addition, Vietnam’s Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training will collaborate in labor skills development, sharing knowledge and techniques to improve human resources and labor productivity. According to the memorandum, the two sides also agreed to cooperate in the management of migrant workers for employment between the two countries. Cooperation can be achieved through the regular exchange of information on the labor situation of each country working in the territory of the other country. Vietnam and Cambodia will collaborate to manage migrant workers and facilitate the handling of legal procedures for laborers in border areas and helping them work and live legally. The memorandum states that the Cambodian side will consider the request of the Vietnamese side to increase the number of Vietnamese workers in Vietnamese-invested enterprises in Cambodia if domestic workers in Cambodia cannot be recruited. The memorandum of understanding will come into effect from the date of signing, last for five years and can be renewed with mutual agreement between the two parties. However, it can be suspended or terminated by either party and such termination shall become effective 60 days after either party notifies the other of its intention to terminate the agreement./.