State President Nguyen Minh Triet on February 28 attended the Vietnam-Cambodia business forum in the presence of Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Husen, as part of his official visit to Cambodia.

Speaking at the forum, Mr Triet said the friendship between the two countries and nations has been cemented throughout their history of struggle for national liberalisation to foster unshakable solidarity and friendship. In that spirit, both countries should further strengthen economic cooperation to keep pace with the development of other countries around the world.

To maintain the sustainable development of bilateral relations, it requires joint efforts  by the two governments and active contributions by people and business circles of the two countries. The two governments will create every favarouble condition for Vietnamese and Cambodian entrepreneurs to cooperate in doing business and  bringing prosperity to both nations, Cambodian PM Hunsen stressed.

On this occasion,  State President Triet donated US$400,000 from Dong Luc Company to the Cambodian Sports Committee.

Before attending the business forum, Mr Triet paid a courtesy visit to Cambodia's top Buddhist patriarch Tep Vong.

With more than 90 percent of population being Buddhist followers, Buddhism and the Buddhist patriarch play a vital role in the spiritual life of Cambodia.

Patriarch Te Vong said,” In the name of victims of the Khmer Rouge’s Pol Pot genocidal regime and Cambodian Buddhist followers, I would like to express my gratitude to the Vietnamese State and people for their great support and assistance, especially to Vietnamese voluntary soldiers for saving Cambodian people from the genocide and helping revive Cambodian Buddhism.”

The support given by Vietnamese people is invaluable. All  Buddhist bonzes and followers will do their utmost to consolidate the solidarity and friendship between the two countries, Patriarch Te Vong affirmed.

Mr Triet said his visit to Cambodia aims to further strengthen the solidarity and relationship between the two countries and peoples. Vietnam will never forgets  the Cambodian people’s valuable support for the Vietnamese people’s struggle for national liberalisation. He praised the two countries’ Buddhists for carrying out many cooperative activities with a view to promoting the solidarity and friendship between the two countries.

Mr Triet pledged to respond to the Cambodian Buddhists’ call for Vietnamese assistance in building a hospital for the poor.

Earlier in the morning, Mr Triet visited Sihanouk Museum and the renowned Silver Pagoda in Cambodia.

In the afternoon,  Mr Triet received representatives of the overseas Vietnamese community in Cambodia  and talked with Vietnamese embassy staff in Cambodia.

As scheduled, Mr Triet and his entourage will leave Phnom Penh for Siem Reap on March 1 and then return to Hanoi the same day.