Cambodian expert hails President’s visit as contribution to fostering special friendship
VOV.VN - President To Lam’s state visit to Cambodia from July 12 to July 13 holds a special significance for both nations, helping to expand and reinforce their special friendship and comprehensive ties, according to Assoc. Prof. Dr Neak Chandarith, director of the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy under the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP).
The Vietnamese State leader’s visits to Laos and Cambodia, his first overseas trips since taking office, demonstrates the Vietnamese side’s strategic priority of developing ties with the neighbouring countries in its external policy.
The visit to Cambodia will serve to create a chance for the leader to engage in discussions at the highest level, thereby helping to strengthening joint ties and co-operation in a multitude of areas, he said. He added that both sides will exchange their views on and seek solutions on issues of shared concern.
President To Lam will lay wreaths at the Independence Monument and the Cambodia – Vietnam Friendship Monument nearby which affirms the country’s respect for its traditional and historical relations with Cambodia, the official said.
The Vietnamese President’s visit is also designed to intensify people-to-people exchanges and citizen diplomacy, thereby helping to strengthen mutual understanding between the two peoples, stressing that both sides have worked to preserve their sound neighbourliness, comprehensive co-operation, and time-tested friendship over recent years.
The Cambodian scholar said that the two sides should maintain regular delegation exchanges at all levels and form dialogue mechanisms in order to discuss priorities and share practical experience. This should be done while ramping up collaboration in domains such as the economy, science, technology and innovation, education and training, climate change response, energy, the environment, and health care.
