Phnom Penh (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh on February 6 to review Vietnam-Cambodia cooperation and discuss measures to further advance bilateral relations.
PM Chinh congratulated the Cambodian Government, led by PM Hun Manet, on its significant achievements in national construction and development, expressing his confidence that Cambodia will continue to record further successes in the time ahead.
PM Hun Manet congratulated Vietnam on the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), describing it as vivid evidence of the Party’s strong unity and consensus, as well as the Vietnamese people’s firm confidence in the Party’s leadership. He voiced his belief that, under the sound leadership of the CPV headed by General Secretary To Lam, Vietnam will achieve double-digit growth, realise its goal of becoming a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, and a developed socialist country with high income by 2045.
The two PMs noted that over the past year, the two governments have effectively implemented the conclusions of the meetings in February 2025 between the CPV and the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), and among the CPV, the CPP and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), proactively and efficiently rolling out cooperation plans and achieving substantive results. Political and diplomatic relations have continued to be strengthened, while bilateral cooperation mechanisms have operated effectively, they said.
Defence and security cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia has become increasingly substantive, while economic, trade and investment partnership recorded strong growth, with bilateral trade reaching 11.33 billion USD in 2025, up 11.7% from 2024.
Positive progress has also been made in border cooperation, reflecting both sides’ goodwill and determination to build a border of peace, friendship, stability, cooperation and development. Cooperation in education, training, health care, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges has further been promoted, the PMs noted.
While acknowledging the benefits of opening border gates, the two PMs stressed the need for close coordination in border management to ensure security and order, prevent cross-border crimes and smuggling, and address illegal activities. They agreed to expedite the signing of an agreement on border gate management and an agreement on border management regulations to facilitate border trade and meet development goals in the new period.
Building on existing achievements and the outcomes of recent bilateral and trilateral meetings among the CPV, CPP and LPRP as well as the meeting of the Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian PMs, the two governments will further deepen cooperation by enhancing high-level contacts and exchanges at all levels and across all channels, effectively utilising bilateral cooperation mechanisms, strengthening defence and security cooperation, and adhering to the principle of not allowing hostile forces to use one country’s territory against the other. They also agreed to maintain border security and combat transnational crimes.
The two leaders agreed to accelerate efforts to finalise the project on a new economic cooperation mechanism linking the Vietnamese and Cambodian economies through 2035, with a vision to 2050, study plans for expressway connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City/Moc Bai and Bavet/Phnom Penh, and promote cooperation in agricultural product trade and processing.
Emphasising the importance of maintaining a peaceful, stable and sustainably developing border, the two PMs affirmed their commitments to promptly and appropriately addressing emerging issues, including environmental protection in border areas. They agreed to push forward negotiations to resolve the remaining approximately 16% of the land border yet to be demarcated and to strengthen coordination in managing both land and maritime borders in a spirit of mutual understanding and respect, in line with international law.
The two sides reaffirmed their determination to preserve, nurture and further strengthen the traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and solidarity between Vietnam and Cambodia, regarding this relationship as a valuable asset of both nations, pledging to pass it on to future generations for the long-term interests of their people and for regional peace, stability and sustainable development.
On this occasion, PM Chinh called on Cambodia to continue paying attention to resolving legal status issues for people of Vietnamese origin in Cambodia, enabling them to stabilise their lives and contribute positively to Cambodia’s prosperous development and bilateral friendship./.
