Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with visiting President of the Cambodian Senate Samdech Say Chhum in Hanoi on October 25.
PM Chinh congratulated Cambodia on the success of the recent election of People’s Councils at the communal and ward levels with the great victory of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), as well as comprehensive achievements that the country has gained, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic fight.
He hailed Cambodia’s contributions as the ASEAN and AIPA Chair in 2022, expressing his belief that the relevant high-level meetings in Phnom Penh in November will be successful, contributing to building an ASEAN Community of peace, stability and prosperity, and enhancing the status and role of Cambodia in the region and the world.
The Vietnamese leader affirmed that Vietnam stays persistent to its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, multilateralisation, being a good friend, a trustworthy partner and a responsible member of the international community, not choosing sides but justice.
Vietnam aims to become a developing country with modernity-oriented industry and income above the lower middle level by 2025, a developing country with modern industry and upper middle income by 2030, and a developed country with high income by 2045, he said, adding that the country will build an independent, self-reliant economy with active and proactive international integration in an extensive, practical and effective manner.
Briefing the guest on the situation of Vietnam, he said that in the third quarter of this year, the country posted a GDP growth of 13.67%, with average expansion in the three quarters reaching 8.83%, the highest for nine months in 11 years.
PM Chinh highly valued the meaningful activities jointly held by both sides during the Vietnam-Cambodia, Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Year 2022, especially the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the odyssey to overthrow the Pol Pot genocidal regime held in June, and the ceremony marking the 55th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations in Hanoi in June. The activities have contributed to raising the public awareness, especially among the young generations, of the responsibility to preserve and reinforce the friendly neighbourliness and solidarity between the two peoples, he said.
The leader said he hopes the President of the Cambodian Senate will continue to work for the further promotion of bilateral ties, while supporting the maintenance of the regular delegation exchanges and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation mechanisms in all channels to further beef up the political trust among senior leaders of the two countries.
PM Chinh suggested that the two legislatures promote their role in building institutions and completion of the legal system to create a smooth legal corridor for the strengthening of bilateral partnership in all fields, while working together to supervise and hasten ministries, sectors and localities to effectively implement the agreements signed between the two countries.
Along with coordinating closely for a higher efficiency of economic, trade and investment partnership between the two countries, they should work together to foster the connectivity of the two economies, he said.
He said he hopes President Samdech Say Chhum and the Cambodian Senate will continue to support the implementation of measures to remove difficulties facing Vietnamese-origin people in Cambodia, helping them settle down and integrate into the host society and act as a bridge for the friendship between the two countries, while creating optimal conditions for Vietnamese investors and businesses to operate in Cambodia.
The leader took the occasion to thank the Cambodian side for its coordination in rescuing many Vietnamese citizens who were scammed and forced to work illegally at a number of business establishments of foreigners in the Cambodian territory. He proposed that the two sides continue to work together to thoroughly deal with the issue, and the Cambodian authorities continue to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese victims to return home safely.
For his part, Samdech Say Chhum highlighted the Vietnam-Cambodia traditional solidarity, and thanked the Party, Government, military and people of Vietnam for supporting and giving timely and great help to Cambodia throughout the history. He affirmed that Cambodia is working hard to further reinforce the solidarity, sound neighbourliness, comprehensive, stable and long-standing ties between the two countries.
He noted that amid the complicated changes in the world, the two sides should continue to maintain and strengthen their friendly neighbourliness and solidarity, together weather the difficulties, and coordinate closely with and support each other at multilateral forums.
The two leaders shared the delight at the stable growth of bilateral cooperation. Last year, two-way trade topped 9.5 billion USD, a surge of nearly 80% year on year. In the first nine months of this year, the figure hit 8.45 billion USD, up 16.7%.
Currently, 198 Vietnamese-funded projects are operating in Cambodia with a total investment of 2.92 billion USD, making Vietnam the biggest investors among the ASEAN countries and among the top five largest investors in the neighbouring country. Vietnam is also the country with the highest number of people travelling Cambodia.
The two sides agreed to continue to collaborate closely in efficiently implementing existing cooperation agreements and mechanisms in defence and security, while cooperating to complete the border demarcation and border marker planting activities to build a shared border of peace, friendship, cooperation and long-standing development.
They also pledged to coordinate closely and support each other at multilateral forums. PM Chinh said that the two sides should work with other ASEAN countries to maintain solidarity and unity as well as the central role of the ASEAN in strategic issues, including sea-related ones.
