Cambodian PM’s official visit enhances traditional friendship with Vietnam

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet pays an official visit to Vietnam on December 11-12. (Photo: VNA)

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet's official visit to Vietnam from December 11-12 at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his first to Vietnam as the PM of Cambodia, is expected to enhance the sound relations between the two countries.

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 betwen 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 USD, a year-on-year increase of nearly 10.9%. Meanwhile, during January – October, the trade revenue was estimated at 7.1 billion USD, 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 USD 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.

Vietnamese enterprises’ investment and business activities in Cambodia have contributed to the host nation’s social welfare and prosperous development.

Besides, cooperation across education-training, transportation, culture, healthcare and telecommunications has been enhanced. Particularly, tourism exchange has seen robust growth, with the number of Vietnamese tourists to Cambodia topping 880,000 and Cambodian travelers to Vietnam reaching over 300,000 during January – October.

Vietnam and Cambodia have worked closely at international, regional and sub-regional mechanisms, especially the UN, ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms, Cambodia – Laos Vietnam Parliamentary Summit, and Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy, making contributions to improving the prestige and position of each nation in the regional and international arenas.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang said that Vietnam and Cambodia are good neighbours with time-honoured friendship.

Throughout many ups and downs of the history, the bilateral relations have developed in a deep and practical fashion across all fields, becoming an invaluable asset of the two peoples, the diplomat stressed.

An array of meaningful activities was held within the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2022 programme to mark the 55th anniversary of the diplomatic relations, demonstrating the respect and priority that the two countries gave to each other in their sound neighbourliness.

According to Dr. Trinh Thi Hoa from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) have supported each other, and supported the principle stated in various Vietnam-Cambodia joint statements, that is protecting, preserving and developing the “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive, sustainable and long-term cooperation”, and committing to protecting regional and global peace and stability.

In a reception for the Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia on October 11, PM Hun Manet suggested the two countries strengthen their relations, further expand cooperation in various fields, and implement the contents agreed by the two sides, contributing to consolidating and improving the cooperation efficiency.

He affirmed that the Cambodian government and competent ministries and sectors will continue cooperation with Vietnam to boost their comprehensive relations.

PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) and PM Hun Manet meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in October in Saudi Arabia. (Photo: VNA)

At a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in October in Saudi Arabia, PM Chinh and PM Hun Manet affirmed their wish to continue carrying out the signed agreements between the two countries, step up cooperation and connect the two economies, and support each other to develop an independent and resilient economy in tandem with deep, practical and effective international integration.

They also reached consensus on facilitating trade and investment cooperation of the business community, especially in border trade and development of border economy.

The official visit to Vietnam by PM Hun Manet 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 high./.