Vietnamese, Cambodian provinces reinforce friendship

 

Dak Lak (VNA) – Vietnam’s Central Highland province of Dak Lak has maintained its twin ties with Cambodia’s eastern province of Mondulkiri over the past time, according to Ho Quang Tam, Chairman of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association’s chapter in Dak Lak.

He made the remark at a meeting in Dak Lak on January 11 to mark the 40th anniversary of the victory of the southwest border defence war and the joint victory of Vietnam and Cambodia over the Pol Pot genocidal regime (January 7, 1979).

Tam said the 20th century witnessed a rare humanitarian and just event when the Vietnamese army and people stood side-by-side with Cambodians to escape from the Pol Pot genocide, liberating and rebuilding the nation.

Promoting the traditional solidarity between the two countries, Dak Lak and Mondulkiri have supported each other for mutual development, he added.

Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee H’Yim Kdoh said on January 11, 1979, armed forces of Dak Lak coordinated with their counterparts from Mondulkiri to liberate the Cambodian province.

Following the liberation, Mondulkiri was still a wasteland, with the lives of locals still full of difficulties. 

Given that situation, within 10 years from 1979 to 1989, Dak Lak sent more than 300 experts to Cambodia, standing alongside people in Mondulkiri to prevent the return of the Pol Pot genocidal regime and support the province to build its Party and government.

Dak Lak volunteer soldiers and experts supported Cambodia in various fields such as training, agriculture, finance, banking, education, healthcare, mass mobilisation, youth development, and security.

As a result, Mondulkiri reaped encouraging socio-economic outcomes with the reinforcement of national defence and security, he said.

Over the past 40 years, the sound neighbourhood, traditional friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia, and Dak Lak and Mondulkiri in particular, have been constantly strengthened and developed, bringing practical benefits for the two peoples, he added. –VNA