Vietnam and Cambodia have completed 84% of the workload and both sides should step up land border demarcation and marker planting at the earliest possible time, said Phuc.
He welcomed the results of the October 24 talks between Vietnam National Assembly chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Cambodia State President Say Chhum, and said the two countries should regularly maintain high-level visit exchanges and promote cooperation mechanisms in all channels so as to consolidate and strengthen reliable political relations.
He also suggested that both sides support each other at multilateral forums such as the ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Asia – Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), while enhancing people-to-people exchanges, especially among young generations, in order to cultivate and constantly strengthen the traditional friendship and close bond between the two nations.
President Phuc noted despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade turnover last year still reached over US$9.5 billion, up 79% year on year. Vietnam’s investment in Cambodia ranks first in Southeast Asia and is among the top five largest foreign investors in Cambodia.
The President expected the Cambodia Senate and President Say Chhum personally would continue supporting Vietnamese expatriates in the country, including naturalization, to help stabilize their lives. He also proposed Cambodia create favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to invest in their host country.
The same day, State president Say Chhum met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. They both agreed that the two countries would further improve the efficiency of their economic - trade - investment cooperation in a bid to promote socio-economic recovery in their respective countries.
It’s necessary to promote the Vietnam – Cambodia economic connectivity, in terms of hard infrastructure and policymaking, creating new impetus for strengthening cooperation in other fields such as trade, investment, energy, tourism, education and training between localities, especially border provinces, they said.
PM Chinh thanked Cambodia for working closely with Vietnam in rescuing many Vietnamese citizens who were scammed and illegally forced to work at foreign owned business establishments in Cambodia, and requested the two sides continue collaboration to resolve this issue completely.
He suggested that the two countries coordinate alongside other ASEAN member states to maintain the bloc’s solidarity and central role in addressing strategic issues, including the East Sea issue.
Vietnam and Cambodia established diplomatic ties on June 24, 1967, and 2022 marks 55 years of their diplomacy. The two countries have organized numerous activities within the framework of the Vietnam-Cambodia and Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Year 2022.
