Strengthening friendship and comprehensive co-operation between Vietnam and Cambodia

via Khmer NZ

August 26, 2010

President Nguyen Minh Triet starts a State visit to Cambodia today at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni. This is the second visit to Cambodia by President Triet since his first visit to the country in 2007.

The visit comes at a time when the relationships between Vietnam and Cambodia is developing well. President Triet’s visit reflects the determination of leaders and peoples of the two countries to always attach great importance to consolidating and boosting the traditional friendship and comprehensive co-operation between Vietnam and Cambodia for their mutual benefit.

Such friendly relationships and comprehensive co-operation between Vietnam and Cambodia have consolidated and developed in all fields under the motto “Good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive co-operation and long-term stability." The exchange of high-level visits over the past years and most recently, General Secretary Nong Duc Manh’s visit to Cambodia in December 2009 and the visit to Vietnam by Cambodia’s former King Norodom Sihanouk, his wife Norodom Moninieth Sihanouk, and King Norodom Sihamoni in June this year, have contributed to further promoting the friendship and comprehensive co-operation between the two countries to a deeper, more effective and reliable level. The economic co-operation, trade and investment between the two countries has seen positive development. The two-way trade between the two countries in 2009 earned US$1.3 billion and the two countries strive to reach the target of over US$2 billion this year. The current investment of Vietnam in Cambodia is approximately US$900 million. The implementation of hydroelectricity projects and Vietnam – Cambodia joint venture bauxite exploitation is expected to reach US$6 billion within five years. Both countries have also promoted co-operation between ministries, sectors and localities. The two sides have collaborated to maintain security and stability in the border areas and agreed to complete land border demarcation in 2012. The two sides have set up a joint committee on economics, culture, science and technology with the aim to review co-operative plans on economics, politics, trade, military and security every year and put forth new plans for the future. In addition, both countries have accelerated co-operation in education and training, energy, electricity, healthcare, transport and communications. Vietnam and Cambodia have closely co-ordinated on regional and multilateral co-operation within the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia- Europe Meeting (ASEM), the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle.

The Vietnamese people would like to take this opportunity to thank the Royal Family, Government and the people of Cambodia for their valuable support for Vietnam in the past as well as at present. We wish the Cambodian people, under the clear-sighted leadership of King Norodom Sihamoni and the Royal Government will gain more achievements in their cause to build a peaceful, independent, neutral, non-aligned and prosperous country.

May the visit by President Nguyen Minh Triet be crowned with success, thus making an important contribution to strengthening and developing the traditional friendship, good neighbourliness, comprehensive co-operation and long-term stability between Vietnam and Cambodia for the happiness and prosperity of both nations as well as nations in the region and around the world.

NHAN DAN