Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh and his Cambodian counterpart signed a bilateral cooperation plan for 2016 after their talks in Hanoi on December 12.

Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh (R) shakes hands with Cambodian counterpart Tia Banh

Both sides agreed to focus on all-level delegation exchanges - especially among young offiers, deputy ministerial-level defence policy dialogue, personnel training, and joint sea patrols.

They will step up the search for, gathering and repatriation of Vietnamese volunteers and experts who laid down their lives in Cambodia in wartime, while enhancing coordination to protect the shared borderline of peace, friendship, stability and development.

During talks, the two ministers underlined defence as one of the important pillars in Vietnam-Cambodia relations, with notable cooperation outcomes in personnel training, joint implementation of the border demarcation agreement, and shared borderline protection.

Defene Minister Phung Quang Thanh thanked the Cambodian government, people and royal army for their support to the Vietnamese army and people in the cause of national liberation and current construction and defence.

He also thanked the Cambodian side for creating favourable conditions for Vietnam to search, gather and repatriate remains of Vietnamese volunteers and experts in Cambodia .

He confirmed that the Vietnamese army and people will strengthen solidarity and provide assistance for Cambodia in nation building and defence.

For his part, Minister Tia Banh thanked the Vietnamese army and people for helping Cambodia escape from the genocidal Pol Pot regime as well as assisting the Royal Cambodian Army in personnel training and training facilities.

He said the Cambodian army and people vow to preserve, nurture and develop the sound traditional friendship with Vietnamese counterpart.

VNA