Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will pay a State-level visit to Cambodia from Dec. 6-8 at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni.

As the first visit to Cambodia by General Secretary Trong, the visit aims to affirm that Vietnam attaches special importance to developing its traditional friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with the neighbouring country, as well as speeding up the implementation of cooperative agreements between the two nations.

During past years, the traditional friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia have been continuously consolidated and developed in various fields.

The two countries have set up a framework of cooperation under the motto: “Good neighbours, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability.”

They have signed more than 80 legal documents on bilateral cooperation in almost all aspects and set up necessary coordination mechanisms that are suitable to the development of the friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The two countries have actively exchanged annual visits, including those made by chiefs of State and heads of legislative and executive bodies.

The relationship between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the two ruling Parties in Cambodia has been further consolidated.

Exchanges between ministries, organisations and localities, especially those sharing the borderline, have helped strengthen understanding, trust and solidarity as well as boost mutual cooperation and support between the two sides.

The two countries have seen positive results in bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, transport, agroforestry, fisheries, tourism, aviation, energy, education and training, health and sports.

Vietnamese companies have to date invested in 98 projects in Cambodia with a total registered capital of 2.2 billion USD.

Official import-export turnover between the two countries reached 1.9 billion USD in 2010 and is expected to hit 2.4 billion USD this year.

The two sides have coordinated in opening and upgrading several border gate economic zones and border markets.

Vietnam has helped train thousands of Cambodian students and officials at university, college and postgraduate levels in economics, culture, science and technology.

The two sides have paid attention to expanding cooperation in other fields such as health, culture, sports, tourism, environmental protection and ecological preservation in border areas.

The two sides have regularly benefitted from each other’s experience in international integration and strengthened coordination at regional and international forums, including the UN, ASEAN and ASEM, the Mekong Basin Development Cooperation, the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), the Ayeyawady-Chaopraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation (ACMECS) and the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV) forum.

In the spirit of friendship, solidarity and mutual understanding for the common interests of the two nations and the two peoples, and in line with the law of each country as well as international practice, the two sides have closely coordinated in gradually solving existing issues and agreed on principles dealing with difficulties in land border demarcation and marker placement, with a determination to complete the work before the end of 2012./.