Vietnam, Cambodia issue Joint Statement

Vietnam and Cambodia on December 21 issued a Joint Statement on the occasion of Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s official visit to Vietnam.

22/12/2016 08:30

The following is the full text of the Statement.

1. At the invitation of H.E.Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, led a high Cambodian delegation to pay an official visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from December 20-21, 2016.

At the meeting.

During his visit to Vietnam, Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen held a talk with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, paid courtesy calls on General Secretary of the Party Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and State President Tran Dai Quang, met with National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, laid wreaths at the Memorial of National Heroes and Martyrs and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and visited Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province.

Also on this occasion, the two prime ministers witnessed the signing ceremony of three cooperative agreements, namely (1) Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Kingdom of Cambodia, (2) Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Kingdom of Cambodia, and (3) Agreement on Bilateral Cooperation between the Committee for Ethnic Minorities of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of Cult and Religion of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

2. In the atmosphere of friendship, mutual understanding and trust, leaders of the two countries had in-depth discussion on the friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Kingdom of Cambodia and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interests of the two countries.

Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen praised Vietnam’s remarkable progresses in renovation, national building and development and wished Vietnamese people success in industrialization and modernization under the leadership of the Communist Party and State of Vietnam.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and other leaders of Vietnam highly praised the important achievements that the Cambodian people had attained, under the wise reign of His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni and under the leadership of the Senate, National Assembly and Royal Government of Cambodia led by Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen, in the national construction and development which has brought about political and social stability, growing economic development as well as increasingly enhanced the position and role of the Kingdom of Cambodia in the region and the world. On this occasion, Vietnamese leaders sincerely wished Cambodia great success in organizing communal elections in 2017 and parliamentary elections in 2018 and in continuing to build a peaceful and prosperous Kingdom of Cambodia.

3. The two sides noted with satisfaction the advancement of friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia over the past period, offering practical benefits for both peoples.

Vietnam emphasized that it always attaches great importance to the strong affection, valuable support and assistance that His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Norodom Sihanouk “Preah Borom Ratanak Kaudh” the late King Father of Cambodia, His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, the leaders and people of Cambodia extended to the people of Vietnam in the struggle for national independence in the past as well as in the present national building and development.

Cambodia expressed its profound gratitude for the strong support and assistance that the generations of Vietnamese leaders and people have accorded to Cambodia in the past and at present, affirming that the Cambodian people will always keep in mind the assistance of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers in cooperation with Cambodian people to liberate Cambodia from Khmer Rouge genocidal regime in 1979.

4. The two sides agreed that strengthening and advancing the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia is of crucial importance for both nations. They committed to continually consolidate and promote the bilateral relations under the motto “good neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-lasting stability”. They also pledged to fully observe the principles stated in the Vietnam – Cambodia Joint Statements in 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2016; to respect independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs; to ensure one’s territory is not used by hostile forces to menace the other’s security; and to settle problems arising between the two countries by peaceful means.

5. The two sides agreed to increase high-level meetings, contacts and the exchange of delegations at all levels and encourage people-to-people contacts, especially between provinces in border areas. The two sides accentuated the importance of educating their people about the nations’ traditional friendship and mutual assistance.

6. The two sides also agreed to work together in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam – Cambodia diplomatic relations (24 June 1967 – 24 June 2017), thus enhancing mutual understanding between the two peoples, especially between the young generations and tasked the two foreign ministries to prepare the commemoration.

7. The two sides highly valued cooperative agreements in various fields signed and agreed to instruct relevant ministries and institutions to coordinate with each other in adjusting related mechanisms to seek effective measures to raise the bilateral trade turnover to the set goal of US$ 5 billion in the coming years.

8. The two sides reaffirmed their respect for and full implementation of the border delimitation treaties and relevant border agreements concluded by the two States. They highly commended the efforts of the Joint Commission on Land Border Demarcation for having accomplished over 83% of the land border demarcation and marker plantation workload over the past time on the basis of the border delimitation treaties between the two countries. Building upon those achievements, the two sides were determined to find once-and-for-all solutions to the remaining border segments for an earlier completion of land border demarcation and marker plantation and to finalize the relevant demarcation dossiers as soon as possible with a view to building a borderline of peace, stability, friendship, cooperation and sustainable development.

9. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and other Vietnamese leaders thanked Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen and other Cambodian leaders and authorities at various levels for providing assistance to the Vietnamese residents in Cambodia over the past time. In the spirit of friendly neighborliness between the two countries, they hope Cambodia would continue to take appropriate measures in ensuring the legitimate rights of Vietnamese residents, equally treated as other foreign residents in Cambodia in conformity with laws and regulations of Cambodia, therefore contributing to the consolidation and enhancement of the traditional friendship between the two peoples.

10. The two sides applauded their fine cooperation in multilateral fora inthe past, especially the mutual support for each other’s candidacy for important international organizations of the United Nations. Given the growing complexities in the regional and global context, the two sides agreed to increase coordination, information sharing and mutual support in multilateral fora, especially ASEAN.

11. The two sides underlined the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security in the South China Sea, settling disputes by peaceful means, exercising self-restraint, refraining from the threat or use of force in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The two sides are committed to join efforts for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

12. The two sides also pledged to continue working closely together and with other members in the frameworks of the Mekong River Commission, the Lancang-Mekong cooperation and other Mekong cooperation frameworks in order to ensure sustainable use and management of water resources in the Mekong River Basin in consistence with international practices as well as harmonize the interests of riverine countries with the goal of sustainable development in the region.

13. The two sides highly valued the positive outcomes and significantly profound meaning of the official visit to Vietnam by Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen, considering as an important event, which was positively conducive to the advancement of the solidarity, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and sustainable growth between Vietnam and Cambodia.

14. Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed his sincere gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitality that the leaders and people of Vietnam had extended to high delegation of Cambodia during the entire visit.

15. On this occasion, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, kindly invited His Excellency Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to attend the 26th World Economic Forum on ASEAN, hosted by Cambodia in 2017 and to pay an official visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia in 2017. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc gratefully accepted the invitation.