Hanoi (VNA) – PrimeMinister Pham Minh Chinh and President of the Cambodian National Assembly (NA) SamdechHeng Samrin expressed their satisfaction of the stable development of the twocountries’ ties during their meeting in Hanoi on September 13.

They noted that leaders of Vietnamand Cambodia have maintained frequent meetings and discussions while bilateral cooperationmechanisms have continued to prove effective, helping sustain cooperationmomentum in various fields.

Notably, despite the COVID-19pandemic’s impacts over the last two years, economic partnership has generated encouraging outcomes. Bilateral trade approximated 10 billion USD in2021 and surpassed 7 billion USD in the first seven months of 2022, up 17.8%year on year. Vietnam currently has 188 valid investment projects worth 2.8 billionUSD in Cambodia, ranking first among members of the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN) and fifth among all foreign direct investors in there.

Both host and guest highly valued thecoordination to successfully organise many meaningful activities in the Vietnam- Cambodia Friendship Year 2022, especially the June 20 ceremony chaired by thetwo PMs marking 45 years since the start of Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s journey totopple the Pol Pot genocidal regime and the celebration of the 55th anniversary of the countries’ diplomatic ties on June 24.

They agreed tomaintain frequent high-level meetings via all channels to unceasingly promotethe trustworthy political relationship. Meanwhile, legislative and executivebodies of Vietnam and Cambodia will continue bringing into play their role infostering bilateral relations, particularly in creating favourable legalcorridors for all-faceted cooperation, and monitoring and promoting ministries,sectors, localities, and businesses’ implementation of signed agreements.

The two sides also agreed to work togetherto effectively carry out the deals and plans on defence - security cooperation,prevent cross-border crimes, and conduct border demarcation and marker plantingon the remaining 16% of their borderline so as to build a land border of peace,friendship, cooperation, and development.

They underscored the importance ofenhancing economic connectivity, especially in transport, telecommunications,and finance - banking, to create a new impulse for partnerships in otherspheres like trade, investment, energy, tourism, education - training, and locality-to-localityties.

At the meeting, PM Chinh thanked andcalled on the Cambodian parliament and Government to continue creatingconditions for Vietnamese-origin people to settle down, integrate into thelocal society, and act as a bridge linking the two countries. He also calledfor optimal conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to operate stably in Cambodiain the long term.

Hetook this occasion to appreciate Cambodian authorities’ effective coordinationwith Vietnam to rescue many Vietnamese citizens lured to forced labour in somebusiness establishments of foreigners in Cambodia. He asked the two sides tokeep close cooperation to rescue and assist victims, and thoroughly deal withthis issue.

Regarding multilateral cooperation,the two leaders concurred that their countries will keep coordination andmutual support at international and regional forums.

PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnamsupports and believes Cambodia will successfully perform the chairmanship ofASEAN and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2022.

He also asked the two countries tojoin other ASEAN members to exert efforts to maintain the bloc’s solidarity,unanimity, and centrality in strategic issues of the region, including the EastSea issue./.