State President Nguyen Minh Triet called the strong unity a common pride of the three Indochinese nations, on the sidelines of a Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia security ministerial meeting held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 20.

The State leader made the statement while meeting Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Le Hong Anh; Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Khenh; and Lao Minister of Security Thongbanh Sengaphone and congratulated them for the success of the first ever meeting of its kind.

Triet pointed out numerous difficulties ahead for the three countries as reactionary forces have been continuing with attempts to sabotage friendship and solidarity as well as cause social disorder in the three countries.

“The three nations have therefore to unite and cultivate genuine trust in each other in order to strengthen cooperation and mutual assistance in national defence, thus meeting the three peoples’ common aspirations for peace and stability for development,” the State leader emphasised.

He reaffirmed Vietnam ’s unswerving stand of expanding relations with its “best friends of Laos and Cambodia ” as an important part of its external policy and pledged to stand by their side in national development.

In reply, the three ministers briefed Triet on the security meeting success, which culminated in the signing of a joint statement calling for stronger cooperation in the fight against crime, in order to ensure security and social order in each and every country as well as in the development triangle of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sar Khenh highly spoke of Vietnam ’s surging growth and expressed strong belief in the great success of its upcoming elections.

He concluded with wishes for evergreen friendship and cooperation between the three countries./.