National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan held a meeting in Hanoi on August 15 with President of the Cambodian National Assembly Samdech Heng Samrin who is on a visit to Vietnam for the national mourning of former Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R)
receives President of the Cambodian National Assembly Samdech Heng Samrin

On behalf of the Party, State, NA and the people of Vietnam, Chairwoman Ngan thanked King Norodom Sihamoni, President of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and Prime Minister Hun Sen, President of the Cambodian National Assembly Heng Samrin and President of the Cambodian Senate Say Chhum for their condolences to Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong, other Vietnamese leaders and the family of former Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu. 

The Vietnamese Party, State, NA and people will coordinate efforts with the Cambodian People’s Party, State, National Assembly and people of Cambodia to nurture, foster and deepen the good neighbours, traditional friendship, comprehensive, sustainable and long-term cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia across fields, benefiting people of the two nations, and peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world, Ngan told his guest.

For his part, Heng Samrin expressed his deep condolences over the passing of Vietnamese former leader, stressing that former Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu was a very good friend of Cambodia, who had directly involved in the building and development of Cambodia after the country escaped from the Pol Pot genocidal regime, and regularly promoted the enhancement of bilateral relations.

Heng Samrin affirmed that he will work to further reinforce the Cambodia-Vietnam relations, for the benefit of the two peoples, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. 

He applauded Vietnam’s achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), and expressed his confidence that the Vietnamese people will record even greater achievements in its national construction and safeguarding.

The Cambodian official also stated his appreciation for cooperation and close coordination between the two countries in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Heng Samrin also congratulated Vietnam on its successful organisation of the 36th ASEAN Summit, highlighting the importance of the event in the context that regional countries are facing difficulties in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. 

He expressed his belief that Vietnam will also successfully organise the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 41), and affirmed the Cambodian National Assembly’s readiness to support and cooperate with the Vietnamese National Assembly to contribute to the success of the event.

He used the occasion to thank the Party, State and people of Vietnam for their help and support for the Cambodian People’s Party, the State and people of Cambodia during their national liberation and their getting rid of genocide as well as the present national building and development.

NA Chairwoman Ngan applauded Cambodia's efforts in the COVID-19 combat, while suggesting both nations continue to work closely and inform each other about policies and pandemic containment measures.

She underlined the need for the two countries’ border localities to boost coordination in medical quarantine so as to both slow the spread of the disease and maintain border trade between the two nations.

The Vietnamese NA leader also praised the two NAs’ ratification of the 2019 Supplementary Treaty and the Protocol on the Demarcation and Marker Planting of Land Boundary, and the signing of legal documents that acknowledges the progress in land border demarcation and marker planting between the two countries.

She proposed the two countries’ legislative bodies continue working hand in hand to support their governments to quickly complete the next relevant work.

Ngan thanked Cambodia for its contributions to Vietnam’s ASEAN Year 2020, and the 36th ASEAN Summit’s success, showing her hope that Cambodia will continue to support ASEAN’s common perception, and closely coordinate with Vietnam to help the country fulfil its role as the ASEAN Chair 2020, the President of AIPA 41 in 2020, and the non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 term.

Vietnam pledges to support and coordinate closely with Cambodia to successfully organise the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 13) next year, she added.