Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held talks with his Cambodian counterpart Samdech Techo Hun Sen via videoconference on November 24 to discuss ways to enhance the bilateral relations and exchange views on some international and regional issues of shared concern. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) and Cambodian counterpart
Samdech Techo Hun Sen hold online meeting on November 24, 2020. Photo: VNA

PM Hun Sen congratulated Viet Nam’s recent achievements, especially the successful organisation of the 37th ASEAN Summit and related summits, affirming Cambodia’s continued cooperation with Viet Nam as an ASEAN member and support for the latter’s role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.

He expressed his belief that Viet Nam will maintain good control of the COVID-19 pandemic, make swift socio-economic recovery and development, and successfully organise the 13th National Party Congress.

Having appreciated his counterpart’s sympathy on the losses caused by recent floods in Viet Nam’s central region, PM Phuc highly valued Cambodia’s successes in combating COVID-19, keeping social stability, and sustaining economic development.

He also thanked Cambodia for closely coordinating with and supporting Viet Nam during the latter’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2020.

During the talks, the two PMs expressed their delight at the positive strides in the Viet Nam-Cambodia friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation over the recent past.

They agreed to continue reinforcing trust and developing the bilateral cooperation strongly, extensively, and sustainably in all fields.

Viet Nam and Cambodia will work closely together within the ASEAN framework, the leaders pledged, noting that they will direct their countries’ ministries, sectors, and localities to coordinate with each other to strengthen the COVID-19 fight while dealing with any issues emerging in a timely manner and in the spirit of friendship and cooperation.

The two countries will maintain cross-border trading as usual, make efforts to raise bilateral trade revenues, bolster defence-security cooperation, and guarantee security and order in border areas, the PMs said.

They spoke highly of the legislative bodies’ ratification of the treaty that supplements the 1985 treaty on the delimitation of national boundaries and the 2005 supplementary treaty, along with the Viet Nam-Cambodia protocol on land border demarcation and marker planting, as well as the hand-over of the Viet Nam-Cambodia land border topographic maps.

The two PMs agreed to assign relevant agencies to continue working together to hold some events related to border cooperation in the time ahead.

During the talks, the leaders consented to jointly implement the signed agreements and deals well and convene the 18th meeting of the Viet Nam-Cambodia joint committee at an appropriate point of time.

The two sides also repeated their commitments to coordinate closely and effectively at regional and international forums, especially within ASEAN and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms.