Phnom Penh (VNA) – The state visit to Cambodia by Party General Secretary To Lam and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation is of great significance in further consolidating and strengthening the traditional relationship between the two countries at bilateral, regional and international levels, particularly amid increasingly complex and unpredictable global developments, said Cambodian scholar
Speaking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Cambodia, Him Raksmey, Executive Director of the Cambodia Centre for Regional Studies (CCRS), said that bilaterally, the two countries share a long-standing, close-knit relationship. The state visit provides an opportunity for high-ranking leaders to reaffirm the importance of this bond as neighbouring countries, while further expanding comprehensive and substantive cooperation across all fields. It also enables both sides to identify shared interests and jointly address common challenges.
He noted that this is among the first overseas visits by the Vietnamese leader after General Secretary Lam was re-elected as Party chief at the recent National Party Congress. This not only reflects the strategic importance Vietnam attaches to relations with Cambodia, but also underscores the high level of mutual respect and appreciation both countries place on their deep and close bilateral ties, the Cambodian scholar said.
At the regional level, Him Raksmey said the visit offers an opportunity for top leaders to meet, exchange views and discuss regional issues, thereby identifying additional common ground and shared interests. It provides a valuable occasion for Cambodia and Vietnam to enhance close coordination within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other regional cooperation mechanisms. In the context of mounting regional complexities, he added, Cambodia and Vietnam in particular, and Cambodia–Vietnam–Laos more broadly, need to strengthen coordination in building the ASEAN Community, expanding relations among member states and with external partners.
He further emphasised the importance of jointly contributing to the building and reform of regional institutions so that ASEAN and related frameworks can respond effectively to shared challenges. These challenges, he noted, have both direct and indirect impacts on all three countries, requiring close cooperation and flexible, timely responses.
Him Raksmey said the visit is an important occasion for high-ranking leaders of the two countries to exchange in-depth views on a wide range of global issues of mutual concern. This would help identify potential areas and avenues for cooperation within the United Nations and other international cooperation mechanisms. He stressed that Vietnam and Cambodia can further coordinate positions and viewpoints in their respective development processes, especially as the international system becomes increasingly complex.
He also noted that today’s world is marked by intensifying, even fierce, competition among major powers, alongside a decline in globalisation and a growing tendency to resort to force in resolving disputes, compounded by other challenges facing the international order and legal system. This context, he said, requires countries to strengthen political and economic cooperation. It is therefore a particularly important moment for Cambodia and Vietnam, both of which have consistently upheld the principle of resolving differences through peaceful means./.
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