Vietnamese, Cambodian PMs upbeat about flourishing ties

The two PMs examined ways to foster bilateral relations and compared notes  on some international and regional issues of mutual concern.

PM Hun Sen congratulated Vietnam’s recent achievements, especially the successful organisation of the 37th ASEAN Summit and related summits and  affirmed his nation’s continued cooperation with Vietnam as an ASEAN member and support for the latter’s role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.

He expressed his confidence that Vietnam will maintain effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to fast-track socio-economic recovery and development, and successfully organise the 13th National Party Congress.

For his part, PM Phuc was appreciative of his Cambodian counterpart’s sympathy on the losses caused by recent floods in Vietnam’s central region, and greatly valued Cambodia’s successes in containing COVID-19, thereby maintaining social stability, and sustaining economic development.

He thanked Cambodia for its close coordination with and support for Vietnam during the year the latter serves as ASEAN Chair.

The pair also consented to continue consolidating trust and developing the bilateral cooperation in an extensive and sustainable manner across a variety of fields.

Vietnam and Cambodia will work closely together within the ASEAN framework, the leaders pledged, noting that they will direct their countries’ ministries, sectors, and localities to work hand in hand to intensify the COVID-19 fight while dealing with any arising issues in the spirit of friendship and cooperation.

The two countries will maintain cross-border trading as usual, exert greater efforts to raise bilateral trade revenues, step up defence-security cooperation, and guarantee security and order in border areas, the two government leaders said.

They hailed the legislative bodies’ ratification of the treaty that supplements the 1985 treaty on the delimitation of national boundaries and the 2005 supplementary treaty, along with the Vietnam-Cambodia protocol on land border demarcation and marker planting, as well as the hand-over of the Vietnam-Cambodia land border topographic maps.

The two PMs concurred to assign relevant agencies to continue working together to hold events pertaining to border cooperation in the time ahead.

During the talks, both sides agreed to jointly implement the signed agreements and convene the 18th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia joint committee at an appropriate point of time.

They also repeated their commitments to boost their closer and effective coordination at regional and international forums, especially within ASEAN and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms.