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General Assembly Distr. Security Council GENERAL A/48/621 S/26771 19 November 1993 ENGLISH ORIGINAL: FRENCH

GENERAL ASSEMBLY SECURITY COUNCIL Forty-eighth session Forty-eighth year Agenda item 79 REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECLARATION ON THE STRENGTHENING OF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Letter dated 18 November 1993 from the Permanent Representatives of and the Lao People"s Democratic Republic to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

We have the honour to transmit to you herewith a joint Lao-Cambodian communique dated 7 November 1993, signed at by His Excellency Khamtay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Government of the Lao People"s Democratic Republic, and His Royal Highness Sdech Krom Luong , First President of the Council of Ministers, and His Excellency Mr. , Second President of the Council of Ministers of the Royal Government of Cambodia (see annex). We would be grateful if you would arrange for the text of this letter and its annex to be circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under agenda i tem 79 and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Alounkeo KITTIKHOUN (Signed) Sisowath SIRIRATH Ambassador Ambassador Permanent Representative of the Permanent Representative Lao People"s Democratic Republic of the Kingdom of Cambodia

93-64893 (E) 221193 221193 I ..• A/48/621 S/26771 English Page 2

ANNEX

Joint Lao-Cambodian Communique dated 7 November 1993, signed at Phnom Penh by the Prime Minister of the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the First and Second Presidents of the Council of Ministers of the Government of Cambodia

1. At the invitation of His Royal Highness Sdech Krom Luong Norodom Ranariddh, First President of the Council of Ministers, and of His Excellency Mr. Hun Sen, Second President of the Council of Ministers, His -Excellency Mr. Khamtay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, paid an official friendship visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia from 4 to 7 November 1993.

2. During his stay in Cambodi a, His Excellency Mr . Khamtay- Siphandone met with His Excellency Mr. , President of the National Assembly and Head of state ad interim. At this meeting, His Excellency Mr. Khamtay .Siphandone was briefed on the work of the Constituent Assembly which had led to the adoption of the new Constitution and of the work of the new National Assembly, whose first session had begun on 25 October 1993. His Excellency Mr. Khamtay Siphandone expressed his warmest congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Chea Sim on the latter's election to the office of President of the National Assembly of Cambodia and wished him every success in fulfilling his noble mission.

At the meeting, His Excellency Mr . Khamtay Siphandone transmitted, through His Excellency Mr. Chea Sim, a letter from His Excellency Mr. Nouhak Phoumsavanh, President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, inviting His Majesty Varman, King of Cambodia, and Queen Sihanouk to pay an official friendship visit to the Lao People's Democratic Republic at their convenience. His Excellency Mr. Khamtay Siphandone also presented His Majesty Norodom Sihanouk Varman with a gift on the occasion of his seventy-first birthday and conveyed to His Majesty the King best wishes for health and long life.

3. His Excellency Mr. Khamtay Siphandone and his delegation also placed a wreath at the Independence Monument and visited several sites of cultural and economic interest in Phnom Penh and Sihanouk City.

Everywhere His Excellency Mr. Khamtay Siphandone and his delegation went they received a warm welcome from the Cambodian authorities and people.

4. An official meeting between the delegation of the Royal Government of Cambodia, led by His Royal Highness Sdech Krom Luong Norodom Ranariddh and His Excellency Mr. Hun Sen, and the delegation of the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, led by His Excellency Mr. Khamtay Siphandone, took place at the residence of the President of the Council of Ministers in an atmosphere of friendship, sincerity and mutual understanding.

5. At the meeting, the parties informed each other of recent developments in the situation of their respective countries and exchanged views on the prospects

I •.• A/48/621 S/26771 English Page 3 for strengthening the ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and on regional and international problems of concern to them.

6. The Cambodian party provided a warm reception for His Excellency Mr. Khamtay Siphandone and his delegation, whose official visit was of great historical significance and a contribution to the promotion and further strengthening of the relations of good-neighbourliness already existing between Cambodia and Laos. On behalf of the Royal Government and People of Cambodia, His Royal Highness Sdech Krom Luong Norodom Ranariddh and His Excellency Mr. Hun Sen reiterated their deep gratitude to the fraternal Lao people and to the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic for their firm and active support of the Cambodian people and the role they had played in the peace process in Cambodia.

7. The Cambodian party welcomed the significant achievements of the Lao Government and people, which it had had an opportunity to observe during its recent visit to the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, brought about by the policy of reform begun under the clear-sighted guidance of the Parti Populaire Revolutionnaire Lao (Lao People's Revolutionary Party).

8. His Excellency Mr. Khamtay Siphandone and his delegation expressed appreciation for the positive outcome of the process of peace and national reconciliation in Cambodia, culminating in the adoption and promulgation of a new Constitution, the restoration of the constitutional monarchy and the return of His Majesty Norodom Sihanouk Varman as King of Cambodia. On behalf of the Lao Government and people, they also expressed their warmest congratulations to the recently formed Royal Government of Cambodia, headed by His Royal Highness Sdech Krom Luong Norodom Ranariddh and His Excellency Mr. Hun Sen, who had spared no efforts to restore peace, achieve national reconciliation and build an independent, peaceful, neutral, non-aligned and prosperous Cambodia.

9. The two parties paid a tribute to His Majesty Norodom Sihanouk Varman for the noble and historic role he had played in attaining the unity, peace, political stability, national reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of Cambodia.

10. The parties expressed satisfaction with the current situation of the traditional ties of friendship and good-neighbourliness between the two countries and reaffirmed their determination constantly to develop and strengthen those ties on the basis of the principles of mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country, non-interference in the internal affairs of each country, the non-use of force or threats of force, the peaceful settlement of all problems in the relations between the two countries, cooperation, equality and mutual advantage.

11. In that spirit, the two parties stressed the need for and importance of still closer cooperation between the two countries. An agreement on economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation was therefore signed by the two Governments.

12. The parties noted that, despite disputes and armed conflicts persisting in certain parts of the world, the situation in South-East Asia was developing positively towards peace, stability and cooperation. They reaffirmed their firm

I ••• A/48/621 S/26771 English Page 4 intention of cooperating more closely with the countries of the region with a view to making that part of the world an area of peace, friendship and cooperation. They also stated that the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Kingdom of Cambodia should cooperate more closely for the protection of the environment as part of the work of the International Mekong Committee, in the common interest of the peoples of all the States bordering that river.

13. The parties expressed their pleasure at the success of the visit of His Excellency Mr. Khamtay Siphandone to Cambodia, which represented an outstanding event in the history of the good relations between the two countries.

14. His Excellency Mr. Khamtay Siphandone sincerely and warmly thanked the Royal Government and people of Cambodia for their friendly sentiments and the warm reception they had given to the delegation of the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Done at Phnom Penh, on 7 November 1993

For the Government of the For the Royal Government of Lao People's Democratic Republic Cambodia

Khamtay SIPHANDONE Norodom Ranariddh Hun Sen Prime Minister First President Second President of the Council of of the Council of Ministers Ministers ID/id confidential Orig. : SG cc: JCA/J B/FA AS/AK/GdC - CG/LMB Central

Notes of the Secretary-General's meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic

Held at United Nations Headquarters on Monday 11 October 1993 at 6:15 p.m.

Present: The Secretary-General H.E. Mr. Somsavat Lengsavad Mr. Vendrell Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ms. Decroocq the Lao People's Democratic Republic H.E. Mr. Alounkeo Kittikhoun Permanent Representative of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to the United Nations H.E. Mr. Done Somvorachit Director of the Europe/America Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs r 21993 Mr. Lingthong Phetsavan Special adviser to the Foreign Minister

The Foreign Minister recalled that he had been appointed six months before and that he was paying his first visit to the United Nations. Laos believed that the United Nations played, under the Secretary-General ' s leadership, an important role in promoting peace. It was pleased by the resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the Secretary General's Agenda for Peace and was looking forward to reading the Agenda for Development, which should also make an important contribution. The Secretary-General hoped to present a draft of the Agenda for Development in the following few weeks. The Foreign Minister stressed that Laos intended to play a constructive role and supported the Secretary General's efforts. The government deeply appreciated the assistance rendered by the United Nations to the Lao people. - 2 -

Turning to political developments in Laos, the Foreign Minister informed the Secretary General that the country enjoyed political and social stability and h ad so far been immune from ethnical or religious strife. Laos was engaged in political reform and had launched a "new economic mechanism" policy aimed at introducing market economy, which was already getting results in many fields. Political developments in the region were encouraging.

The Secretary-General said he had been quite impressed that the first visit abroad by the two co-presidents of the Cambodian interim government had been to Laos. He expressed his appreciation to Laos for its important contribution to the peace process in Cambodia. Laos had played a positive and constructive role during the whole UN operation, and so had Viet Nam.

Asked by the Secretary-General about Lao refugees in Thailand, the Foreign Minister confirmed that there remained refugees in that country. Laos was trying to stick to the plan of action it had adopted and encouraged the voluntary return of refugees, but experienced two kind of difficulties: 1) some people who had initially accepted to return subsequently changed their mind; 2) financial support from the international community to facilitate the resettlement of refugees had been delayed. The Secretary-General enquired whether the bridge across the Mekong that Laos had agreed to build on the border with Thailand was finished. The Foreign Minister answered that the bridge was under construction, but would not be completed before April 1994. The Secretary-General congratulated Laos on the improvement of its relations with Thailand. The Foreign Minister commented that this would benefit the economic development of the country. He emphasized that Laos maintained good relations with neighbouring countries and, generally speaking, with all ASEAN countries. The demarcation of the border between Laos and Myanmar was now completed. Laos wished to see peace in the region, which had suffered from war during decades.

The Foreign Minister extended an invitation to the Secretary­ General to visit Laos. The Secretary-Ge~~ral answered that, since he had already been to Hanoi and Phnom Penh, he should now pay a visit to Vientiane. He would do his best to visit Laos the following year. euae~ cp ~lle Decr~~c q 12 October 1991 Press Release Department of Public Information • News Coverage Service • New York

Biographical Note BI0/2797 11 August 1993

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE 0~ LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC C PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

Alounkeo Kittikhoun, the new Permanent Representative of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to the United Nations, this afternoon presented his credentials to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Kittikhoun served in his country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Director of the Department of International Organizations. He was promoted to that post in 1992, having served before that, from 1990, as Deputy Director.

Recruited by the Foreign Ministry in 1977, Mr. Kittikhoun served, from 1980 to 1990, in the Permanent Mission of the Lao Republic to the United Nations, beginning as Second Secretary and rising to First Secretary and Counsellor.

His educational background includes study in his own country, at the Royal Institute of Law and Administration, where he received his diploma in 1975; the I - Pantheon Sorbonne; and study at the International Institute of Public Administration in Paris, from which he received a diploma in 1976.

Born on 10 October 1951, Mr. Kittikhoun is married and has two children.

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