Vietnam supports Cambodia’s role of ASEAN Chair 2022

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc made the affirmation during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on December 21 as part of his official state visit to the neighbouring country.

President Phuc congratulated Cambodia on its great achievements in socio-economic development and COVID-19 prevention and control that have helped the neighbour constantly improve its position in the region and international arena.

He expressed his confidence that Cambodia would successfully organize elections for commune/ward councils in 2022 and the National Assembly elections in 2023, creating momentum for Cambodia to successfully realize its goal of becoming a country with high middle income by 2030 and high income by 2050.

In response, Prime Minister Hun Sen highlighted the significance of President Phuc's visit as an important opening event for the "Vietnam - Cambodia, Cambodia - Vietnam Friendship Year 2022", contributing to further consolidating the good neighborly relationship, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability" between the two countries.

During the meeting, the two leaders informed each other on the socio-economic situation in their respective country.

They expressed their elation at the comprehensive development of the bilateral ties over the past 55 years, emphasizing both nations have maintained delegation exchanges, high-level meetings, and promoted the efficiency of the bilateral cooperation mechanisms despite COVID-19.

They agreed that trade and investment saw positive growth during the past 11 months of the year, with two-way trade reaching more than U$S8.6 billion, up nearly 84%year on year, and Vietnamese investment in the neighbouring country surged by 4.6 times to  roughly U$S 90 million.

Vietnam has run a further four new projects in Cambodia with a total registered capital of nearly US$ 90 million, 4.6 times higher than the same period last year, thereby bringing the total number of valid Vietnamese investment projects in Cambodia to 188 projects valued at US$ 2.85 billion, helping Vietnam become an ASEAN member state with the largest investment in the neighbour.The two leaders agreed on major directions to ramp up bilateral cooperation in the coming time with a particular focus on effectively implementing signed agreements, maintaining regular visits, contacts, exchanges at all levels, and bilateral cooperation mechanisms. This will be done along with boosting coordination in carrying out activities within the framework of the Friendship Year 2022" to celebrate the 55th of the both nations' diplomatic relations.

They concurred to bolster collaboration across security-defence and economy, particularly transport connection, telecommunications, trade, investment, banking and finance, and energy, among others.

The leaders affirmed their support for efforts to soon complete the master plan to connect the two economies of Vietnam and Cambodia to 2030.

Regarding border cooperation, the two sides agreed to fully and properly implement treaties, agreements related to their borderline, including two legal documents that has acknowledged the achievements of demarcation and marker planting, with about 84% of the work having been finalized.

They were of the same mind about negotiation to compete remaining 16% of the work, and coordination in dealing with arising issues in the spirit of solidarity and friendship as a contribution to building a border of peace, stability and cooperation.

The two leaders applauded the effective coordination between the two countries at international and regional forums, especially within the ASEAN framework.

The Vietnamese State leader expressed his wish that the two sides would continue to enhance closer coordination and uphold ASEAN's principled stance on the East Sea, including ensuring security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation, and strengthening trust-building without threatening or using force.

He underlined the importance of complying with international law to settle disputes by peaceful means on the basis of respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Vietnam supports concerned parties’ efforts to strictly and fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) as well as completing the effective, substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS 1982, Phuc emphasized.

Following the meeting, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Hun Sen witnessed the signing of seven cooperation documents between ministries and enterprises from both sides, including the minutes of the 19th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee and cooperation documents regarding security, defence, border cooperation, trade, education and justice.

The same day, President Phuc hosted a reception for Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, during which he thanked the Cambodian Government, mass organisations and people for providing support for the Vietnamese counterparts in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, including U$S50,000 donated by the Cambodia – Vietnam Friendship Association.

Men Sam An told Phuc that her nation always treasures and thanks Vietnam for assisting Cambodia in the cause of national liberation and overthrowing genocidal regime as well as in the current process of national development. She pledged her best to continue developing the good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, and comprehensive, sustainable long-term cooperation between the two nationsThe Deputy PM also agreed to intensify people-to-people exchange activities and raise public awareness of the significance of bilateral time-honoured friendship, especially among young generations.