Ambassador confident of stronger ties between Vietnam and Cambodia

VOV.VN - A State-level visit to Cambodia made by Vietnamese State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Dec. 21 - 22 is expected to boost the traditional friendship and improve the effective co-operation between the two sides, Ambassador of Cambodia to Vietnam Chay Navuth said.

The Ambassador granted an exclusive interview to VOV to shed light on the historical friendship and close relationship between both countries as part of this occasion.

Following are excerpts from the interview. 

VOV: H.E. Ambassador Navuth, President Phuc will be the first high-ranking Vietnamese leader to officially visit Cambodia over the past two years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. How you do evaluate the significance of the visit to bilateral relations?

Ambassador Chay Navuth: President Phuc’s visit clearly reflects the close relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia, and simultaneously demonstrates their traditional friendship to nations throughout the region and the wider world.

Cambodia highly appreciates Vietnam for successfully assuming the role of ASEAN Chair in 2020, contributing to bringing intra-regional co-operation to new heights amid the complicated nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s therefore noteworthy that the Cambodian side will assume the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2022.

Senior leaders of the two countries have often made phone calls or online discussions which displays the spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance, as well as Vietnamese support for Cambodia’s role ASEAN Chair. This is especially important in the context of ASEAN facing many challenges, such as fierce competitions between great powers and the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

President Phuc’s visit therefore reaffirms that both Vietnam and Cambodia always stand side by side and support each other. Indeed, the two countries have signed many agreements over the past years, including a Vietnamese invested project to construct a new administrative building of Cambodia’s National Assembly Secretariat. During the visit, President Phuc will attend a groundbreaking ceremony for this project.

In addition, the two sides will also endorse important decisions and co-operation agreements in various fields to boost bilateral co-operation and to facilitate greater development between border localities of the two countries.

VOV: What you think are major achievements of Vietnam - Cambodia relations at present?

Ambassador Chay Navuth: The most prominent achievement is that Cambodia and Vietnam have joined hands to effectively prevent the COVID-19 outbreak over the past year in the context of the virus evolving in a complicated manner across the globe. The two countries, through the Party, Government, and people channels, supported each other in various forms, both mentally and physically, from providing medical supplies and vaccines to donating cash.

Secondly, the two countries have made efforts in order to realise their top leaders’ consensus on developing a common borderline of peace, stability co-operation, and development. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides have still held meetings aimed at seeking and agreeing on a direction for this issue. They have so far completed 84% of the border demarcation and border marker planting work, and they are actively co-ordinating work to complete the mission.

Thirdly, all-round co-operation between the two countries have been closely maintained and strengthened given the negative impact of COVID-19. With regard to economic co0operation, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong agreed in a phone call to strive to bring bilateral trade turnover to an unprecedented high.

Fourthly, the two sides have boosted co-operation in human resource training and communications on bilateral relations. Cambodia is currently training Vietnamese students in culture and language, while many Cambodian military students and cadets are also studying in Vietnamese localities, especially in the health care sector.

Fifthly, both countries are actively co-ordinating with ASEAN to promote post pandemic recovery efforts. When the pandemic initially broke out, Vietnam held meetings between ASEAN and its partners to examine directions and measures to respond to the pandemic, as well as to spur economic recovery and development.

Finally, in the current context ASEAN is a ‘hot spot’ of competition between the two great powers, leaders of Cambodia and Vietnam remain united and share common views in the interest of their nations.

VOV: What you believe will be in store for Vietnamese development over the coming years?

Ambassador Chay Navuth: I am honored to have the opportunity to work in Vietnam in the context that the country is developing strongly, especially in terms of its infrastructure. Vietnamese people from all walks of life remain united in their endeavours to develop the nation. As a result, people’s living standards are markedly improving, while the middle class is growing in large numbers. Elsewhere, the stock market is also developing rapidly.

Furthermore, the country’s role and position is increasingly enhanced in the international arena, especially after it assumed its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, thereby actively contributing to maintaining peace and stability in both the region and the rest of the world.

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam has charted a new development course for Vietnam towards 2030, aiming to become a modern industrialised country. If a foreigner asks me whether Vietnam can achieve this goal, I assure them that it can. I always believe that under the clear-sighted leadership of the Party and Government, Vietnam can be hopeful of a bright future.

On the occasion of the upcoming traditional Vietnamese New Year, I would like to wish the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Government, and people of Vietnam a new year full of luck and success. I firmly believe that, as Vietnam develops, Cambodia will also develop because we are the two close neighbours that unite and co-operate for common interests and mutual goals.

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State President to visit Cambodia next week
State President to visit Cambodia next week

VOV.VN - State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc will pay a State visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia from December 21-22, 2021.

State President to visit Cambodia next week

State President to visit Cambodia next week

VOV.VN - State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc will pay a State visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia from December 21-22, 2021.