HCM City (VNA) - National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man on April 29 hosted President of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and President of the Cambodian Senate Samdech Techo Hun Sen, who is in Vietnam for a grand celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975-2025).
The NA leader expressed his delight to welcome Hun Sen and the high-level Cambodian delegation, emphasising that their attendance not only reflects the profound friendship between the two nations but also serves as vivid evidence of the good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability between Vietnam and Cambodia.
He underlined that the military parade and march, which feature the participation of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, is not only an occasion to honour historical values but also a symbol of unity, peace and the shared aspiration for a prosperous future among the three Indochinese nations.
He expressed particular appreciation for the Cambodian military delegation’s engagement in the parade, saying it reflects the Cambodian people’s solidarity and companionship with the Vietnamese people during important events.
Extending his best wishes for the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay New Year to Hun Sen and his delegation, Chairman Tran Thanh Man praised Cambodia’s achievements in national development. He expressed his hope that under the leadership of King Norodom Sihamoni, the Royal Government, and the guidance of the Senate and National Assembly, Cambodia will secure greater achievements and successfully reach its goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050.
For his part, Hun Sen showed his pleasure at attending the celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the historic victory on April 30, 1975, at the invitation of Party General Secretary To Lam. He affirmed that this victory was not only a momentous achievement for the Vietnamese people but also a shared triumph of the Cambodian people and all peace-loving nations around the world.
Pleased with Vietnam’s achievements over the past five decades since reunification, Hun Sen extended sincere thanks to the Vietnamese Party, State, armed forces and people for their companionship and consistent and effective support for Cambodia over the years, particularly Vietnam’s contribution to the country’s liberation from the genocidal regime and its subsequent reconstruction and development.
Man stressed that the victory of the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975 opened a new era for Vietnam - the era of independence, peace and development - and served as a powerful source of inspiration for national liberation movements around the world, including in Cambodia.
The top Vietnamese legislator reaffirmed that Vietnam always remembers the valuable support provided by the Cambodian people during difficult times and expressed pride in the joint struggle to overthrow the genocidal regime, restore peace, and lay the foundation for Cambodia’s current prosperity. The solidarity and mutual support between the two peoples, he stated, are an invaluable legacy that must be preserved and passed on to future generations.
He expressed deep gratitude to the CPP, the State and people of Cambodia, and in particular to Hun Sen, who has made significant contributions to strengthening and developing the bilateral friendship.
At the high-level meeting between the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and the Standing Committee of the CPP held in February 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City, which was co-chaired by General Secretary To Lam and President Hun Sen, both sides affirmed their strong commitment to promoting comprehensive cooperation in areas ranging from politics, defence and security to economy, culture and people-to-people exchange.
Amid increasing global and regional challenges, Man voiced his confidence that the Vietnam–Cambodia relationship will continue to serve as a model of neighbourly cooperation, grounded in mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.
The two sides agreed that to move forward together into a new era, both countries must further strengthen solidarity, deepen political trust, and maintain regular high-level exchanges and cooperation across Party, Government and parliamentary channels.
They reaffirmed their principle of not allowing any hostile force to use one country’s territory to undermine the other. The two sides will step up defence and security cooperation through effective implementation of the 2025 Protocol and Cooperation Plan, while maintaining trilateral mechanisms between the Defence, Public Security/Home Affairs, and Foreign Ministries of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
They will promote connections among youngsters, expanding exchanges among NA deputies and young parliamentarians, while intensifying the popularisation of the traditional friendship and solidarity, so that younger generations understand and uphold this treasured legacy.
Economic and trade ties will also be bolstered, with a shared goal of raising bilateral trade to 20 billion USD. The two countries will coordinate closely to promote economic connectivity among Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
The Vietnamese NA Chairman proposed that Cambodia continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese-origin residents to stabilise their lives and obtain Cambodian citizenship when eligible. Both sides should also work to ease travel and business conditions for each other’s citizens and enterprises.
He confirmed that the Vietnamese legislature is ready to closely cooperate with the Cambodian Senate and National Assembly in promoting joint initiatives in economic, cultural, and educational spheres, and in enhancing coordination at multilateral parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Global Parliament for Tolerance and Peace (IPTP). He also urged the Cambodian Senate to soon establish a Cambodia–Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group.
Man affirmed Vietnam’s support for Cambodia’s candidacy for the position of Secretary-General of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), to be elected in September 2025./.
