State visit to help build new vision for Vietnam-Cambodia ties

Phnom Penh (VNA) – Vietnam and Cambodia expect the State visit by Party General Secretary and President of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong will help build a new vision for bilateral cooperation towards 2030 and beyond, said Ambassador Vu Quang Minh.

The remark was made by the Vietnamese diplomat in an interview with the TV channel CNC of Cambodia ahead of the trip from February 25 to 26.

Minh emphasised this is the first visit to Cambodia by Trong since he began serving as both Party General Secretary and President of Vietnam. The tour aims to enhance the mutual trust and reiterate the importance the Vietnamese Party and State attach to “sound neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability” with Cambodia.

He noted since bilateral diplomatic ties were set up on June 24, 1967, their relations have weathered all challenges.

This State visit will make important contributions to the two sides’ connections, helping to lift their friendship to a new height, the ambassador added.

Regarding defence-security issues, Minh affirmed that defence-security cooperation is critically important to the two neighbouring countries, and it will be one of the priorities of the visit.

The two sides will re-affirm the importance of cooperation in these fields, the principle of not allowing any military or political forces to use the territory of one side to oppose or threaten the security and territorial integrity of the other, and the commitment to resolving all disputes peacefully.

This is also a basic principle for relations among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Vietnam and Cambodia, he said.

In terms of bilateral cooperation in 2020, when Vietnam will hold the ASEAN Chair and Cambodia will host the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, Ambassador Minh said the countries’ leaders underlined the pledge to coordinate more strongly at regional and international forums to promote each side’s stature and prestige in the global arena.

During the official visit to Vietnam by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen from December 6 to 8 last year, the two sides agreed to support each other when Cambodia will host the ASEM Summit and Vietnam will chair ASEAN in 2020.

Minh voiced his belief that 2020 will generate big opportunities for both countries to shine in the international arena.

Regional and global issues of shared concern like cooperation within the framework of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area, along with peace and cooperation in the East Sea, will also be under discussion during the visit.

When asked about the settlement of the Vietnamese immigrants issue, the diplomat said Vietnamese-Cambodians have always received attention from leaders and people of Vietnam. Vietnam thanks Cambodia for assisting its expatriates to settle down, improve their living standards and contribute to local development.

In the visit, leaders of the two countries will look into measures to ensure the expatriates’ rights and interests, including their legal status, in line with Cambodian law as well as international law and practices, so that they will be treated equally with other ethnic groups in Cambodia, Minh noted.-VNA