55 years of Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic ties marked

An art performance at the event (Photo: VNA)

In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai, on behalf of the Vietnamese Party and State leaders and people, extended his greetings to the Cambodian Party, State and people on the meaningful day of the two nations.

The geographical proximity along with similarities in culture and history are a solid foundation for Vietnam and Cambodia to cultivate and develop one of the long-lasting traditional relationships in Southeast Asia, he stressed.

According to the Deputy PM, with the motto of "Good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability", over the past years, Vietnam-Cambodia relations have been continuously consolidated and developed in all fields, bringing practical benefits to the two peoples, and making positive contributions to peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world.

Vietnamese, Cambodian officials and people attending the ceremony (Photo: VNA)

Regarding the current bilateral relations, Khai said that political ties continue to develop well. The two sides have maintained high-level contacts and exchanges and bilateral cooperation mechanisms in all channels, even in the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in the past two years.

The bilateral economic, trade and investment relations have also posted encouraging results. Two-way trade hit 9.54 billion USD last year, up 79.1% year-on-year, and reached 5.44 billion USD in the first five months of 2022, up 18.7% year-on-year. Vietnam is running 188 valid investment projects worth 2.8 billion USD in Cambodia, ranking first in the ASEAN and among the top 5 in the world in terms of investment in the country. In the first three months of 2022, over 46,000 Vietnamese tourists visited Cambodia, making Vietnam the first in terms of the number of visitors to the nation.

Cooperation in the field of security and defence has been strengthened, Khai said, adding that the two sides have firmly adhered to the principle of not allowing any hostile force to use one's territory to harm the security and interests of the other. On the basis of signed treaties and agreements, the two countries’ agencies, authorities and local people in border areas have made efforts to build a shared border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development. The sides signed two legal documents recognising the completion of 84% of the demarcation and marker planting of their shared border in 2019, and are negotiating to handle the rest.

Collaboration in other fields such as education and training, transport, culture, health and telecoms has received due attention as well.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai (Photo: VNA)

The two countries’ leaders have also committed to creating favourable conditions for one’s citizens living in the other’s territory, in accordance with their laws and the spirit of friendly neighbourliness.

The Deputy PM reaffirmed Vietnam's consistent policy of supporting an independent, peaceful, neutral and developing Cambodia.

The Vietnamese Party, State and people always attach great importance to and give high priority to their good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, and comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia, he added.

Men Sam An, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection, and Chairwoman of the Cambodia - Vietnam Friendship Association, expressed her sincerest and most profound respect and gratitude for the support of the Vietnamese Party, State, army and people for the Cambodian side.

She affirmed that Vietnam's support and assistance has contributed to the development of Cambodia from a war-torn to a unified country with complete peace and development in all areas.  

This anniversary is a testament to the consolidation and cultivation of the fine friendship, solidarity and cooperation between the peoples.

According to her, the basic completion of the border demarcation and border marker planting and joint efforts to maintain and build a borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation and development aim at bringing about substantive benefits for the two peoples, especially those living along the border./.

VNA