A document to this effect was signed in Phnom Penh during a visit to Cambodia from August 17-21 by a Vietnamese delegation led by Hoang Tat Thang, deputy head of the Vietnamese Maritime Department.

The Vietnamese delegation held talks with a delegation of Cambodia's Civil Aviation Department led by its chairman Chia An. Mr Thang informed his host of the establishment of a system of local users' terminals for the VNMCC (VNLUT/MCC) which has been recognised by Cospas-Sarsat. The system has joined the international Cospas-Sarsat System and been allowed to operate on a test basis since August 2005.

Under guidance from the Cospas-Sarsat System, Vietnam has defined the zone of responsibility, and held talks on the demarcation of the VNMCC service area with the MCCs of China and Singapore.

Vietnam is now able to receive, process and distribute the alert data taken in by the VNLUT/MCC to responsible agencies in Cambodia instead of the SILUT/MCC in Singapore, said Mr Thang.

The Cambodian delegation praised Vietnam for its ability to replace Singapore in receiving, processing and distributing Cospas-Sarsat alert data to Cambodia's rescue agencies. It said it would inform authorized agencies in Cambodia about the matter and would also officially inform Vietnam, Singapore and Cospas-Sarsat as soon as possible.

Cambodia proposed that Vietnam support it in search and rescue work. The Vietnamese side said it will convey the proposal to the Vietnamese National Committee for Search and Rescue.