Vietnam, Cambodia promote all-round cooperation

The two sides will make concerted efforts to strengthen connectivity between the two economies, maintain the momentum of bilateral trade and investment growth, and at the same time consider appropriate policies to remove difficulties and obstacles for their businesses.

They will also further strengthen cooperation in the fields of national defence and security, transport connectivity, tourism, agriculture-forestry-fishery, post and telecommunications and information technology, labour, natural resources and the environment.

Those agreements were reached at the 19th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Commission on economic, cultural, and scientific and technological cooperation which was virtually held on December 19.

The meeting was co-chaired by Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn.

The two sides agreed that they will popularize and educate their young generations about the friendly neighborliness and fine relationship, as well as good cooperation results between Vietnam and Cambodia.

They will speed up the search, collection and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died during their international missions in Cambodia.

Son and Sokhonn shared the view that the friendly neighborly relationship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia have been continuously consolidated and deepened in recent times in the interest of the two peoples.

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, they said both countries have kept up their cooperation momentum in all fields and through different channels, including high-level contact and exchanges.

They especially welcomed the effective and timely cooperation and mutual assistance between the two countries in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The diplomats also highly appreciated the two sides’ thorough preparations for the December 21-22 State-level visit to Cambodia by Vietnamese State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. They noted that the visit is of great significance as it marks the start of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2022 to celebrate 55 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries (June 24, 1967 - June 24, 2022).

Minister Son suggested that the Cambodian Government continue to pay attention to and support the Vietnamese community in the host country. He also suggested that the two sides continue to work closely together to well implement border agreements, contributing to preserving and building an increasingly developed and friendly border area.

The two sides highly appreciated their cooperation efforts at regional and international forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations, ASEAN and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms, including the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

Minister Son affirmed that Vietnam will support Cambodia to successfully assume the role of ASEAN Chair in 2022, making a positive contribution to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Minister Son and Minister Sokhonn are expected to sign the minutes of the meeting on December 21 during the State-level visit to Cambodia by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

They agreed to host the next meeting of the committee in Vietnam in 2022.