Phnom Penh (VNA) – Prime Minister Le Minh Hung met with representatives of the Vietnamese-origin community and staff of Vietnamese representative agencies in Cambodia on October 10 as part of his official visit to the neighbouring country.
At the meeting in Phnom Penh, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Minh Vu highlighted a series of high-level visits between the two countries in 2026, which have helped consolidate political trust and advance bilateral cooperation across various fields.
On border and territorial affairs, the embassy has actively contributed to land border demarcation and marker planting, while promoting a coordination mechanism for addressing maritime issues.
In economic and trade cooperation, the embassy has stepped up economic diplomacy, working with Cambodian authorities and Vietnamese ministries, agencies and localities to resolve difficulties facing Vietnamese businesses and promote bilateral trade.
It also successfully organised the 2026 Vietnam–Cambodia Business Dialogue, bringing together more than 200 business representatives from both countries. This was the first time Vietnamese enterprises had held a dialogue with the Council for the Development of Cambodia.
Bilateral trade reached 8.67 billion USD in the first eight months of 2026, up 8.3% year on year, and is projected to hit around 13 billion USD for the full year, Vu noted, adding that the embassy has also organised investment promotion activities and supported Vietnamese localities in seeking trade and investment opportunities in Cambodia.
Highlighting Cambodia’s strategic importance to Vietnam, the ambassador called for the PM’s continued direction in developing more favourable mechanisms to help Vietnamese businesses expand their investment in this market.
Representing the Vietnamese-origin community, Sim Chy, President of the Khmer–Vietnamese Association in Cambodia, affirmed that they remain committed to fostering friendship between the two countries. He expressed gratitude to Vietnamese Party and State leaders, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, ministries, agencies, localities, the embassy, businesses and benefactors for supporting the community, particularly in resolving legal documentation issues, assisting families affected by hardship or natural disasters, and organising Khmer-language classes.
Meanwhile, Leng Rithy, Chairman of the Vietnam–Cambodia Business Association, hailed Vietnam’s development achievements and affirmed that Vietnamese businesses in Cambodia have served as an important bridge for bilateral trade. He pledged to help strengthen trade connectivity and investment promotion, contributing to economic development in both countries and closer people-to-people ties.
Leng Rithy proposed shifting bilateral economic cooperation beyond goods trading towards joint investment, production and processing, thus creating value chains and expanding markets by capitalising on the complementary strengths of the two economies.
Addressing the meeting, PM Hung reaffirmed the Party and State’s determination to translate policies into tangible results, with practical benefits for people and businesses serving as the key measure of effectiveness.
Reviewing his working sessions with Cambodian PM Samdech Hun Manet, Senate President Samdech Hun Sen and other senior Cambodian leaders, he said the two sides reached important strategic understandings to broaden comprehensive cooperation.
On overseas Vietnamese affairs, the PM underscored the Politburo’s renewed policy direction, affirming that Vietnamese communities abroad are not only an inseparable part of the nation but also a strategic resource contributing to the country’s overall strength.
Sharing the difficulties facing Vietnamese-origin people in Cambodia, he said the Vietnamese Government will continue to urge Cambodia to provide favourable conditions for the community to stabilise their lives and secure sustainable livelihoods.
He tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnamese Embassy, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Security and relevant Cambodian authorities, with addressing obstacles relating to administrative procedures, residency, citizenship, livelihoods and resettlement. He also called for Vietnamese-origin children to be given access to public education in Cambodia.
The PM further assigned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Training to consider expanding undergraduate and postgraduate scholarship programmes for children of the Vietnamese community in Cambodia, helping develop human resources for the future.
PM Hung asked community members to comply with Cambodian law, prioritise the welfare and education of children and young people, and continue serving as a bridge of friendship between the two peoples.
He also called on community organisations, including the Khmer–Vietnamese Association and the Vietnam–Cambodia Business Association, to strengthen their leading roles in uniting the community, engaging younger generations and mobilising respected individuals to build a stronger and more sustainable community./.
