Vietnam, Cambodia agree to maintain high-level consultations

The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn as part of the framework of the latter's ongoing official visit to the nation.

As part of his remarks, FM Son showed his elation at the fruitful development of the traditional friendship and comprehensive ties between both sides, saying that stakeholders in the two countries have co-ordinated to successfully organise important events and commemorative activities in the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Year 2022.

The events have contributed to further tightening bilateral relations, along with raising public awareness of the traditional friendship that exists between the two countries, he said.

In response, Deputy PM Sokhonn said bilateral co-operation mechanisms and linkages between ministries, sectors, and localities of the two countries have been promoted and proven to be effective.

He added that the meeting provided a prime opportunity for both sides to discuss how to further improve the overall effectiveness of ties at regional and international forums.

They also discussed co-operation outcomes among ministries and sectors over recent times across a variety of fields such as politics-diplomacy, defence, security, border control, economy, trade, investment, transport, education-training, culture, sports, tourism, health care, and justice.

They shared delight at the two sides' close co-ordination in successfully organising a high-level meeting between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Cambodian People's Party on February 18, the official visits of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to Cambodia in 2022, as well as other activities to mark the 55th founding anniversary of the diplomatic ties.

Defence-security ties has become an increasingly important pillar, while economic co-operation has been also a highlight of bilateral relations over recent years. Last year’s two-way trade reached US$10.57 billion, up nearly 11% on-year.

Vietnam is Cambodia's third largest trade partner in ASEAN. At present, the nation has 205 valid investment projects worth US$2.94 billion in the Cambodian market, ranking first in ASEAN and among the five biggest foreign investors in Cambodia.

The two sides concurred to continue effectively carrying out signed agreements, reinforcing security and defence links, working together to boost economic connectivity and deal with difficulties facing businesses of both countries, along with maintaining the stable growth of bilateral trade and investment.

They also agreed to ramp up the partnership in transport, tourism, agro-forestry-fisheries, telecommunications and information technology, labour, as well as natural resources and the environment, whilst promoting co-operation among localities and within the Cambodia-Laos- Vietnam (CLV) Development Triangle. They therefore agreed to work closely to search for, collect, and repatriate the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who fell in Cambodia during wartime.

On behalf of the two governments, the two diplomats signed the meeting's minutes. The 21st meeting of the committee is slated to take place in Cambodia ahead in 2024.