Cambodian PM visits Hanoi to enhance traditional friendship

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet and a high-ranking delegation of Cambodia arrived in Hanoi Monday morning, starting a two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of PM Pham Minh Chinh.

Welcoming the delegation at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi were Minister - Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet, and Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang.

The Cambodian delegation includes Deputy PM and First Vice President of the Council for the Development of Cambodia Sun Chanthol, Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea, and many other ministers.

Then Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a welcome ceremony in Hanoi for his Cambodian counterpart.

After the ceremony, the two leaders visited a photo exhibition featuring the land and people of Vietnam and Cambodia, and their good relations, jointly held by the Government Office and the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), before holding talks.

The Cambodian PM is also scheduled to hold meetings with other Vietnamese senior leaders to review cooperation results and discuss measures to promote bilateral ties in the coming time.

He will join Chinh in an exchange with Vietnamese students and a Vietnam-Cambodia business forum.

The official visit demonstrates the resolve of leaders of both sides to consolidate and enhance the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two peoples, while bringing new cooperation opportunities so as to elevate the bilateral ties to a new height.

Since high-ranking leaders of the two countries set the motto of “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive, sustainable and long-term cooperation” for the bilateral relations in 2005, the bilateral ties have been unceasingly developed across the fields, bringing benefits to the two peoples, and making contributions to regional and global peace, stability and collaboration.

Exchanges of delegations at all levels have been maintained even during the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, helping enhance the people's understanding of the traditional solidarity, friendship, cooperation and support between the two nations.

Cooperation in defence and security has been enhanced, while that in economy and trade has developed rapidly and carved out encouraging achievements. Last year, two-way trade reached $10.57 billion, a year-on-year increase of nearly 10.9%. Meanwhile, during January-October, the trade revenue was estimated at $7.1 billion, dropping 22.1% from the same time last year.

Vietnam is currently the biggest trade partner of Cambodia in the ASEAN region and the third largest trade partner overall, following China and the US. To date, Vietnam has registered $2.94 billion in 205 valid projects in Cambodia, among the top five foreign investors in the country. Cambodia ranks second among 79 countries and territories receiving Vietnamese outbound investment.

The official visit to Vietnam from December 11-12 by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet will continue to strengthen and further expand traditional friendship between the two countries, said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea.

In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in Phnom Penh, the top diplomat highlighted the importance of the visit, saying this will be the Cambodian leader’s first visit to an ASEAN member country since he took office in August.

During a short period of time, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet had four meetings with his Vietnamese counterpart at international forums and conferences, he said, adding in 2022, Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited Cambodia.

According to Sok Chenda Sophea, in addition to mutual visits, Vietnam and Cambodia have also promoted their coordination in multilateral frameworks. The two countries attended meetings of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), Lancang-Mekong cooperation framework and ASEAN, during which the two countries discussed collaboration in the fields of economy, diplomacy, security, health care and transportation. They also talked about regional and world issues of shared concern, typically food security in the current context, at bilateral meetings.

In the time to come, the two countries must continue to foster their fine relationship to bring development and prosperity to their people, he noted.

Looking back on the special relationship over the past 60 years, he said the relationship had become closer, and the two countries were looking forward to a longer future. The people of Cambodia and Vietnam supported and helped each other during the wars. The year 1979 was a historical milestone when Việt Nam helped Cambodia overthrow the genocidal regime.

Despite the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the two countries had still seen bustling trade activities, with two-way trade hitting $10.57 billion in 2022, more than double the figure of $5 billion recorded in 2020.

The two neighbours should make more efforts to boost trade, investment and tourism links, along with other areas such as industry and agriculture, said Sok Chenda Sophea.