Cambodia desires to cooperate with Ba Ria – Vung Tau to boost tourism development, said Khuong Sreng, member of the Cambodian People’s Party Central Committee and Governor of Phnom Penh while meeting with visiting officials of the southern province of Vietnam on October 21.

The Cambodian official suggested Ba Ria – Vung Tau should open a tourism bus route linking with Phnom Penh and highlighted cultural heritages of his country as well as advantages of Ba Ria – Vung Tau, a tourist hub in southern Vietnam. 

With an annual economic growth rate of over 7.5 percent for years, Cambodian people’s living standards have been greatly improved, leading to growing travel demand, Khuong Sreng said while calling on Ba Ria-Vung Tau administration and businesses to open more tours between the two sides to facilitate travel and help deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples.

The host also briefed the Vietnamese delegation on his nation’s tremendous achievements in economy, trade, culture and tourism and attributed those attainments partly to the wholehearted support of the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and people since the defeat of the Pol Pot genocidal regime in 1979.

Khuong Sreng (R), member of the Cambodian People’s Party Central Committee
and Governor of Phnom Penh, and Nguyen Hong Linh, member of the Communist
Party of Vietnam Central Committee, Secretary of the Ba Ria – Vung Tau Party
Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Council (Photo: VNA)

The Royal Government of Cambodia always treasures and make every effort to foster the traditional friendship with Vietnam. It also hopes that younger generations will join hands in shaping a bright future for both nations, he said.

For his part, Nguyen Hong Linh, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, Secretary of the Ba Ria – Vung Tau Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Council, said with advantages in tourism and sea transport, Ba Ria – Vung Tau  welcomes thousands of Cambodian visitors and cargo trucks transiting through Cai Mep Port each month.

He affirmed his province’s readiness to help the two countries’ businesses spur economic, trade and tourism development, support transport and tourism development projects between the two localities, further improve tourism services, and continue to share management experience towards stronger bilateral cooperation in the time to come.

As part of their working visit to Cambodia from October 18- 21, the Ba Ria – Vung Tau delegation also signed memorandums of understanding on cooperation with Phnom Penh city and Cambodia’s Siem Reap province.