Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (L) and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc

During talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on December 20, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen said his visit aims to promote traditional friendship and all-around collaboration with Vietnam in a solid and extensive manner. 

The Vietnamese PM, for his part, expressed his belief that the visit will be an important milestone elevating the two countries’ friendship and cooperation for the sake of their people.

He wished that the two countries would work more closely, respect each other’s legitimate interests, jointly settle remaining issues, maintain an environment of peace and stability, and strengthen friendship between the two peoples. 

Both sides agreed to facilitate visits by the two countries’ leaders and officials from ministries, agencies, localities and trade unions while working closely together to effectively implement signed agreements between the two nations and governments. 

They pledged to thoroughly prepare for the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (June 24) in order to increase mutual understanding between the two people, especially young generations. The two foreign ministries will direct activities for the event. 

On the occasion, they agreed to promptly convene the 15th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Inter-governmental Committee next year. 

On economic, trade and investment ties, the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce and the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade will soon conduct negotiations for the signing of the Vietnam-Cambodia border trade agreement. 

The host suggested further stepping up transport and electricity connectivity, tourism, telecommunication and banking within the framework of a master plan on connecting Cambodian, Lao, Vietnamese economies.

The two countries will direct their transport ministries to chair negotiations on the governmental-level agreement on transport cooperation strategy as mentioned in the agreement adopted by the 14th session of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on Economic, Cultural and Scientific-Technological Cooperation. 

The ministries are required to negotiate the signing of a deal to build a highway connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh on the occasion of a meeting between the two PMs next year, as well as survey the model “One door- one stop” which is expected to be launched at Moc Bai – Ba Vet border gate. 

Host and guest were committed to maintaining the principle of not allowing any hostile forces to use one’s territory to sabotage security of the other as well as jointly fight smuggling, illegal immigration, crimes involving drugs, human and weapon trafficking, trans-national and cyber crimes. 

PM Phuc thanked the Cambodian government for partnering with Vietnam in the search and repatriation of volunteer Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed their lives in Cambodia. He asked his counterpart to instruct Cambodian relevant agencies to complete the construction, repair and restoration of Vietnam-Cambodia friendship memorials. 

Hailing the signing of the education cooperation agreement for 2016-2020, the two leaders underscored the importance of improving training quality and living expenses for students sent to overseas for study. 

As regards border issues, the Joint Committee on Land Border Demarcation and Marker Planting was assigned to work hard to quickly complete land border demarcation with fair, appropriate and acceptable measures and settle emerging issues at border areas in line with existing mechanisms and the spirit of neighborliness between the two countries. 

About the overseas Vietnamese affairs, the Vietnamese host wished that Hun Sen would continue directing agencies to accelerate the settlement of legal papers involving Vietnamese nationals in Cambodia, making it easier for them to settle in and contribute to bilateral ties. 

The two sides agreed to urge the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to promptly resolve the illegal immigration to Cambodia by the Central Highlands ethnic minorities thoroughly in accordance with the Vietnam-Cambodia-UNHCR agreement signed on January 25, 2005. 

They also discussed regional and global issues of shared concern. 

On the occasion, PM Phuc accepted PM Hun Sen’s invitation to visit Cambodia next year with pleasure. 

Following the talks, the two PMs witnessed the signing of an agreement on judicial assistance in criminal matters between the two governments; an agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons between the two countries; and another one between Vietnam’s Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs and the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religion.

Party chief hails visit by Cambodian Prime Minister

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hailed ongoing visit by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen during a reception in Hanoi on December 20, saying that it deeply manifests the ties between the two nations. 

The Party chief expressed his profound gratitude to invaluable support that the Cambodia People’s Party, government and people have provided for Vietnam during the struggle for national liberation and reunification as well as the current construction and development. 

He asked Hun Sen to offer continued assistance to Vietnamese nationals and enterprises, making it easier for them to lead a stable life and help with fostering traditional friendship between the two nations. 

Hun Sen, for his part, spoke highly of the outcomes of cooperation between the two Parties over the past years and thanked Vietnam for providing immense, invaluable, pure, effective and timely support saving Cambodians from genocide and preventing that regime from coming back as well as promoting the national development at present. 

Informing the host of the outcomes of talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc the same day, Hun Sen expressed his wish to nurturing bilateral solidarity and friendship. 

He also expressed his sympathy with losses recently suffered by residents in the central region and affirmed that no matter how the world situation changes, the ties between Cambodia and Vietnam will be unchangeable. 

The two leaders shared view that the two neighbouring countries need to stay united for the benefit of the two peoples and for mutual development.

Vietnam consistently supports Cambodia, says President

President Tran Dai Quang has reassured Vietnam’s consistent support for the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), the royal government, Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, and Cambodian people. 

During a reception in Hanoi on December 20, President Quang said he believes the visit of the Cambodian PM will create a stronger driving force to fortify long-standing friendship and neighbourliness between the two nations. 

He wished that the CPP and PM Hun Sen would score successes in the election of deputies to the communal and district People’s Councils in 2017 and the National Assembly in 2018. 

The Vietnamese Party and State highly value positive contributions by the Cambodia PM to the development of friendship, solidarity and all-around cooperation between the two governments and peoples, he stated. 

Hun Sen, in reply, informed the outcomes of his talks with PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc the same day. 

He conveyed his sincere thanks to the Party, State and people of Vietnam for saving Cambodian people from genocide in the past, saying that the visit is to renew Cambodia’s unchangeable stance on reinforcing amity, solidarity and cooperation for development with Vietnam. 

As the two countries are preparing for the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, Hun Sen stressed that it affords a chance for Vietnam and Cambodia to raise public awareness of preserving and promoting invaluable bilateral traditional ties, especially among young generations.

Top legislator affirms support for stronger ties with Cambodia

The Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) always attaches importance to and support the enhancement of traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan made the remarks during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen in Hanoi on December 20. 

Ngan said the Vietnamese NA will work closely with the Cambodian NA and Senate to boost the expansion and efficiency of cooperation between the two governments and people as well as between the two legislatures at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums. 

The top legislator highlighted the fruitful development of traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in recent years, saying that PM Hun Sen’s visit marks an important milestone in Vietnam-Cambodia relations.

Ngan expressed her desire that the two sides will uphold the achievements and deepen bilateral ties in different fields, thereby bringing practical benefits to both nations.

For his part, PM Hun Sen said his visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations, adding that the two countries are exerting efforts to effectively implement cooperation agreements on the basis of their long-lasting relationship. 

He took this occasion to thank the Vietnamese people and army for their assistance and sacrifice to help Cambodia escape from the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in the past. 

The two countries should continue educating their young generations about the values of Vietnam-Cambodia relations, and enhancing the bilateral cooperation through the exchange of all-level visits, he said. 

The Cambodian leader also believed that, with the support and close coordination between the two legislatures, the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Cambodia and Vietnam will obtain new achievements in the coming time.

Cambodian media highlights PM Hun Sen’s Vietnam visit

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen

The Cambodian media has ran stories on Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen’s ongoing visit to Vietnam which was made at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc. 

The Khmer-language daily Rasmei Kampuchea, which has the largest circulations in Cambodia, highlighted the significance of the visit, stating that the visit will help further boost the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia. 

The newspaper cited Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, affirming that Vietnamese people are trustworthy friends of the Cambodian people and that his country will continue nurturing the bilateral relations in the future. 

It also reviewed the joint victory of Vietnam and Cambodians over the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, which was declared on January 7, 1979, and the flourishing relations between the two countries over the last 50 years. 

The two countries have supported each other at international and regional forums and need to foster cultural exchange in order to enhance mutual understanding among their people, it said.

PM Hun Sen’s visit to Vietnam will contribute to strengthening the Vietnam-Cambodia friendship and comprehensive cooperation, thus increasing the position of the Cambodia Government in the region and the world, it stressed.

The Kampuchea Thmey Daily published the press release of the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the visit’s schedule. 

It said apart from meetings and talks with Vietnamese key leaders, PM Hun Sen will have meetings with representatives from the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association, officials of Ho Chi Minh City, and Vietnamese war veterans. 

It recalled the meeting between PM Hun Sen and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the sidelines of the 9th Summit of the Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (CLV) Development Triangle Area in November, where the two leaders reached a consensus on asking for France’s support in drawing border maps serving the demarcation and marker planting works between the two nations. 

Meanwhile, the Fresh News website, which has the largest number of visits in Cambodia, said PM Hun Sen and his entourage received warm welcome from the Vietnamese side. 

The site quoted Minister Sry Thamrong – the Assistant to PM Hun Sen, saying that the two sides will sign agreements on the transfer of prisoners and mutual criminal legal assistance, and a cooperation agreement between the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religion and the Government's Committee for Ethnic Affairs of Vietnam. 

Fresh News added that during his stay, PM Hun Sen will pay tribute to Cambodian revolutionary martyrs who laid down their lives during Cambodia’s national movement to liberate their country from the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime and rested in the southern province of Dong Nai, and attend the 38th founding anniversary of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation (KUFNS or Salvation Front).

VNA