Vietnam and Cambodia have agreed to renewed co-operation in the search for Vietnam's war dead when the dry season starts this year.
Relations between the two neighbours are often strained, with strong and, in some Cambodian quarters, bitter memories of Vietnam's occupation of the country.
The agreement between the two to help find the remains of Vietnamese soldiers missing-in-action (MIAs) could provide some ground for greater understanding, just as the search for American MIAs has provided a bridge between the former enemies of the Vietnam War.
It is more than 20 years since Vietnamese troops marched into neighbouring Cambodia. Hanoi was weary of battles and incursions by Khmer Rouge fighters and the slaughter of the local population, which included Vietnamese.
In 1979 and in the following 10 years of occupation, thousands more Vietnamese soldiers died. Western estimates put the figure at 10,000, with twice as many wounded.
Vietnam's 'People's Army' newspaper Quan Doi Nhan Dan said on Sunday that 2,363 sets of remains had been returned to Vietnam since the joint search and recovery operation began in Cambodia last July.
Yesterday, Cambodia's Ambassador to Hanoi, Mr Var Sim Samreth, said the number of those remaining could be about 2,000. He welcomed the agreement for closer co-operation, and said it recognised the role played by Vietnam in ending the regime of Pol Pot.
