Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man hosted separate receptions in Hanoi on January 13 for Cambodian Ambassador Chea Kimtha, US Ambassador Marc Knapper, and Philippine Ambassador Meynardo L.B. Montealegre, who came to bid farewell to the top legislator at the end of their tenures in Vietnam.
Receiving Cambodian Ambassador Chea Kimtha, Chairman Man congratulated Cambodia on the important achievements it has recorded in recent years, which have helped enhance the country's position in the region and the world. He also praised Chea Kimtha for successfully fulfilling his duties in Vietnam, contributing to the comprehensive development of the traditional friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.
The NA Chairman conveyed New Year greetings from Vietnam’s leaders and people to the King, the Queen Mother, President of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and President of the Senate Hun Sen, President of the National Assembly Khuon Sudary, and senior Cambodian leaders, expressing confidence that Cambodia will continue to maintain peace, stability, and prosperous development.
Chairman Man highly valued the effective cooperation between the Vietnamese NA and the Cambodian Senate and NA in both bilateral and multilateral frameworks. Parliamentary leaders of the two countries have maintained frequent high-level exchanges and coordination at multilateral parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), helping strengthen political trust and promote the substantive implementation of high-level agreements. He also appreciated regular exchanges between parliamentary delegations, lawmaker groups, and experience-sharing in legislation, supervision, and decision-making on major national issues.
On this occasion, the NA Chairman thanked Cambodia for its support and called on the Cambodian side to continue creating favourable legal conditions for people of Vietnamese origin to stabilise their lives and contribute positively to Cambodia’s development and bilateral relations.
Chea Kimtha conveyed New Year greetings from CPP President and Senate President Hun Sen and NA President Khuon Sudary to Chairman Man. He highly appreciated Vietnam’s gift of the Cambodian NA administrative building, describing it as a symbol of traditional solidarity and friendship, and thanked the Vietnamese NA for its strong support throughout his tenure.
The ambassador welcomed Vietnam’s administrative reform and apparatus streamlining efforts, expressing his confidence in the success of the 14th National Party Congress and Vietnam’s goals of becoming a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, and a developed, high-income nation by 2045. Both sides expressed satisfaction that bilateral trade in 2025 exceeded 11 billion USD, up nearly 12% year-on-year, and agreed to strive toward the 20-billion-USD trade target set by the two countries’ leaders.
Receiving US Ambassador Marc Knapper, Chairman Man congratulated the diplomat on a successful tenure and expressed appreciation for his active contributions to advancing Vietnam–US relations, particularly the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023. He also acknowledged the ambassador’s role in deepening cooperation between the two legislatures.
The NA Chairman welcomed the positive and substantive progress in parliamentary cooperation, including regular exchanges, legislative experience-sharing, and collaboration in key areas such as trade, education, science and technology, war aftermath remediation, and people-to-people exchanges.
He agreed with Knapper’s proposals to further enhance exchanges between parliamentary leaders, committees, and lawmakers, and to expand cooperation in digital transformation, innovation, clean energy, climate change response, healthcare, and education, while continuing effective implementation of war aftermath settling projects such as UXO clearance, dioxin remediation, and support for persons with disabilities.
Knapper expressed his honor at working in Vietnam during a period when the bilateral relations has seen strong development, affirming his commitment to further contributing to the Vietnam–US relationship in any future role.
Hosting Philippine Ambassador Meynardo L.B. Montealegre, Chairman Man commended the diplomat’s contributions to promoting the Vietnam–Philippines Strategic Partnership and facilitating high-level visits. He congratulated the Philippines on its comprehensive achievements in the fields of economy, culture, defence-security, and foreign affairs, and voiced support for the Philippines’ successful hosting of major events as ASEAN Chair and AIPA President in 2026.
Highlighting that 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Philippines, the top legislator expressed his confidence that both sides would organise meaningful commemorative activities, including high-level visits. He also urged stronger economic and trade cooperation to soon reach the 10-billion-USD bilateral trade target, while promoting parliamentary exchanges, local cooperation, tourism, and people-to-people ties.
Montealegre thanked Vietnamese leaders and agencies for their support during his tenure. He informed that the Philippines had lifted its temporary rice import ban, and expressed his optimism about expanded cooperation in rice trade and food security between the two countries./.
