The 2nd Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange: A Great Festival of Friendship

Ministers of Defense of Vietnam and Cambodia sign cooperation plan for 2026

Shared border, strong cooperation

Vietnam and Cambodia share a land border, the starting point is the intersection of the borders of the three countries Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos; the final point is in the border area of ​​Ha Tien ward, An Giang province (Vietnam) and Kampot province (Cambodia). The entire Vietnam-Cambodia land border has 49 pairs of border gates, including 10 pairs of international border gates, 11 pairs of main border gates, 28 pairs of secondary border gates and many border openings serving import and export activities, entry and exit, trading and exchanging goods across the border of the two countries.

General Phan Van Giang - Politburo member, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, presents flowers to welcome General Tea Seiha - Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense of Cambodia

Over the past years, the defense sector has been an important pillar of the relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia. Defense cooperation and border protection cooperation activities have been actively, substantially and effectively implemented, contributing to deepening the special friendship between the two countries for peace and development in the region.

The two countries' defense ministries have increased delegation exchanges, meetings and contacts at high and all levels; maintained effective cooperation in human resource training; cooperated in managing and protecting land and sea borders; coordinate the search and collection of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Cambodia, etc.

Sharing about cooperation activities in border management and protection at the Vietnam-Cambodia Border Young Officer Exchange program held on the evening of November 12, Colonel Lun Luch, Commander of the Border Protection Regiment, Special Military Region, Cambodian Army Command, said, "In recent times, the border units of the two countries have maintained a close coordination mechanism, regularly exchanged information, and organized monthly and quarterly meetings between commanders and border posts. The two sides also actively coordinated in propagating and disseminating laws, introducing international agreements and treaties on border work to people in border areas, organizing medical examinations and treatment, providing free medicine, supporting people in difficult circumstances, coordinating the search and collection of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Cambodia during wartime.

“We patrol together, control the situation, and promptly handle arising incidents in the spirit of respect and friendship. The two sides also organize many cultural and sports exchanges, visits, and New Year greetings to strengthen the close relationship between the forces and people of the two countries. These activities not only strengthen border security but also foster the close relationship and mutual understanding between the people of the two countries,” said Colonel Lun Luch.

After the success of the first organization in 2022, the Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange was organized by the two countries' Defense Ministries for the second time in Tay Ninh province (Vietnam) and Svay Rieng province (Cambodia) with many meaningful activities. This is a key defense foreign affairs activity in 2025, contributing to strengthening political trust and promoting comprehensive cooperation between the two Defense Ministries and between the border protection forces, authorities, and people of the two countries. Notably, this year's exchange activities focus on the people and young generations; continue to build more friendship projects to practically serve the lives of people in the border areas of Vietnam and Cambodia.

Towards the people in the border areas

Along the Vietnam-Cambodia border, the friendship, solidarity and attachment between the armies, governments and people of the two countries continue to be strengthened every day. These are medical examinations and free medicine distribution trips; breeding cows given to poor and near-poor households; scholarships given to students in difficult circumstances; capital to support production and business for poor women in border areas, etc.

In particular, the above support programs are not only for people in the border areas of Vietnam but also extended to the border localities of Cambodia. For example, the program "Helping students go to school" since 2016 has supported 872 students in the border area of ​​Cambodia with difficult circumstances with a support level of 500,000 VND/student/month.

Leaders of the border protection forces of Vietnam and Cambodia present the “Helping student go to school” scholarship

In the framework of this Friendship Exchange, in addition to the activities of talks and signing cooperation documents between the two Ministries of National Defense, the Young Border Officer Exchange, planting friendship trees, joint patrols between the border protection forces of the two countries, etc., there were also many meaningful activities for the people in the border area of ​​Vietnam and Cambodia.

In Tay Ninh province, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense donated a boarding house worth 25 billion VND and a modern IT room to Ben Cau Primary School; awarded 60 “Helping students go to school” scholarships worth 2 million VND each to 60 students (including 30 Vietnamese students and 30 Cambodian students); organized medical examinations and provided free medicine to nearly 1,000 people on both sides of the border; and presented 20 breeding cows, worth 20 million VND/cow to 20 households in difficult circumstances in the border areas of the two countries (10 households in Vietnam and 10 households in Cambodia). In Cambodia, there will also be a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a friendship primary school in Svay Teap district, Svay Rieng province.

Ministers of National Defense of Vietnam and Cambodia and delegates cut the ribbon to inaugurate the boarding classrooms of Ben Cau Primary School, Tay Ninh Province

As one of 20 households receiving breeding cows from the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense this time, Ms. Mot Sray Noch—a resident of Monourom Commune, Svay Teap District, Svay Rieng Province, Kingdom of Cambodia—excitedly said, “My family is still in difficulty. I am very excited to receive a cow from the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense. My family will try to take care of this cow so that it can reproduce soon, increasing income and reducing difficulties. We really appreciated the Ministry of National Defense, Border Guard and Vietnamese authorities at all levels!”

Leaders of the Border Guard Command and leaders of Tay Ninh province present breeding cows to households in difficult circumstances in the Vietnam-Cambodia border area

The activities in the Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange are vivid evidence of the traditional solidarity and friendship between the armies, governments and people of the two countries. The activities not only contribute to practically supporting people and ensuring social security in the Vietnam-Cambodia border area but also provide an opportunity to enhance people-to-people exchanges.

A notable event in this exchange is the twinning ceremony of the border residents' cluster between Long Cuong hamlet, Long Thuan commune, Tay Ninh province (Vietnam) and Ou Ta Mou hamlet, Monourom commune, Svay Teap district, Svay Rieng province (Cambodia).

Mr. Nguyen Tan Thanh, Secretary of Long Cuong Hamlet Party Cell, Long Thuan Commune, said, “In recent years, Long Cuong Hamlet and Ou Ta Mou Hamlet have regularly maintained exchanges and visits to each other during the holidays and New Year of the two ethnic groups; coordinated in organizing propaganda for people to change the structure of crops and livestock as well as maintain activities of visiting relatives on both sides. The Border Guard force and local authorities on both sides of the border have always created favorable conditions for people to visit relatives, exchange agricultural products, feel secure in developing production, improve life, and contribute to strengthening solidarity and friendship between the two border hamlets in particular and between Vietnam and Cambodia in general.”

Defense Ministers of the two countries attend the twinning ceremony of border residential cluster

Before the Exchange, the border protection forces of the two countries also coordinated to propagate and disseminate laws to people in the Vietnam-Cambodia border area. The focus of the propaganda was the content of the Agreement on Border Regulations between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People's Republic of Cambodia; distributed documents and leaflets to propagate the law to people.

Through the propaganda session, people will understand the legal regulations on border crossing, forest protection, and disease prevention and control and coordinate to ensure security and order in the border area, thereby contributing to raising people's sense of responsibility in complying with the law and preserving national borders and landmarks.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Anh Tuan - Political Commissar of the Border Guard Command, affirmed: The Vietnam - Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange is not only for military and defense exchanges but also an opportunity to strengthen solidarity and friendship, promote substantive cooperation between local Party committees, authorities, people and border protection forces of the two countries to build a peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developed border area, together protect the border effectively, promote socio-economic development and improve the living quality of people on both sides of the border./.

By Phuong Thuy - Translated by Q. Thien

Source: http://baolongan.vn/giao-luu-huu-nghi-quoc-phong-bien-gioi-viet-nam-campuchia-lan-thu-2-ngay-hoi-lon-cua-tinh-huu-nghi-a206421.html