At the talks (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son held talks withCambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs andInternational Cooperation Prak Sokhonn in Hanoi on March 21.
Prak Sokhonn arrivedin Vietnam earlier the same day to co-chair the 20th meeting of theVietnam-Cambodia Joint Commission on Economic,Cultural, and Scientific-Technological Cooperation from March21-22.
Soncongratulated Cambodia on its outstanding achievements in internal and externalaffairs over the past years, including the successful organisation of commune/ward council elections for the fifth tenure in June 2022 and assumption of the Chairmanship of ASEAN and ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) last year.
Lauding Vietnam forsupporting Cambodia in its role as the ASEAN Chair 2022, the Cambodian Deputy PM vowedto constantly strengthen good neighbourliness,traditional friendship, comprehensive, sustainable and long-term cooperation between the two countries. He congratulated Vietnam on its important achievements insocio-economic development, with an economic growth of over 8% last year.
The two sides agreedto facilitate high-level visits, continue upholding the effectiveness ofexisting bilateral cooperation mechanisms, implement the joint statementsand cooperation agreements between the two Parties and Governments, step upconnectivity between the two economies, enhance locality-to-localitycooperation, speed up the demarcation and border marker planting of theremaining 16% of the border line, toward building a borderline of peace,friendship, cooperation and sustainable development between the two countries.
Theyhighly valued the close coordination between the two ministries in promotingrelationship between the two nations and promised to hold the eighth politicalconsultation at the deputy ministerial level in Cambodia at a suitable timethis year.
Onregional and global cooperation, both sides underlined their commitment toworking closely together to strengthen solidarity, unity and the central roleof ASEAN, as well as bolster collaboration between the bloc and and itspartners.
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (R) and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn. (Photo: VNA) Regardingthe East Sea issue, they affirmed the importance of maintaining peace,security, and stability in the region, ensuring freedom and safety of navigationand overflight, settling disputes via peaceful means in line with internationallaw and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), fullyabide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC),toward reaching an effective and practical Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) inaccordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.
Sonsuggested the Cambodian official continue offering support to Cambodians of the Vietnamese origin to settle down and integrate into the hostcountry, serving as a friendship bridge between the two countries.
Heasked the Cambodian side to jointly deal with cases in which Vietnamesecitizens are scammed and forced to work illegally in several foreign-ownedentertainment businesses in Cambodia.
Theguest affirmed that Cambodia will continue offering fair treatment to the people of the Vietnamese origin, like those from other countries./.
