President meets with former soldiers who volunteered to help Cambodia

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam - Cambodia diplomatic relations (June 24, 1967 - June 24, 2017), the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Year 2017, on the afternoon of June 17, at the Presidential Palace, President Tran Dai Quang had a meeting with the delegation of former Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who helped Cambodia in the period 1979 - 1989 and representatives of the Central Committee of the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association.

During 10 years of helping Cambodia, tens of thousands of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts stood shoulder to shoulder, sharing joys and sorrows with Cambodian cadres, soldiers and people, gradually carrying out the national revival.

When Cambodia took on the task of building and defending the country, Vietnamese volunteers and experts successfully completed their mission and returned home.

The beautiful image of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” still remains in the hearts of the Cambodian people. The late King Norodom Sihanouk affirmed: “Without the Vietnamese soldiers helping to liberate the Cambodian people from genocide, the king’s descendants would all have died.”

After listening to the report on the situation and results of the work of the Central Committee of the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association and the speeches of the delegates of the former Vietnamese Volunteer Army helping Cambodia, President Tran Dai Quang expressed his emotion when meeting the delegates of the soldiers who nearly 40 years ago, together with the revolutionary forces and the Cambodian people, overthrew the brutal Pol Pot - Ieng Sary genocidal regime, closing the dark pages of history, bringing Cambodia out of the genocide disaster, opening an era of revival and development.

President Tran Dai Quang respectfully acknowledged, commended and congratulated the achievements of the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association in recent times; highly appreciated the initiative to admit former volunteer soldiers into the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association to have better living conditions, help each other, as well as continue to contribute to strengthening the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.

On behalf of the Party and State leaders, President Tran Dai Quang warmly congratulated the Vietnamese Volunteer Army on the exceptionally outstanding feats and achievements in carrying out the noble international mission for the Cambodian revolution.

The President emphasized that the glorious feats of arms and the great contributions and sacrifices of the Vietnamese Volunteer Army to the Cambodian revolution have been recognized and highly appreciated by the Cambodian State and people, as well as the Party, State and people of Vietnam, and have been awarded many noble awards and titles.

President Tran Dai Quang stated that Vietnam and Cambodia are two close neighbors with many cultural similarities. Over the past 50 years, since the two countries established diplomatic relations, generations of leaders and people of the two countries have always stood side by side, supported and helped each other in the struggle for national independence, as well as in the cause of national construction and development.

The traditional friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Cambodia has become a valuable and sacred asset of both peoples, not only for the present generation but also for future generations.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic relations and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2017, President Tran Dai Quang suggested that the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association should continue to promote more widely to all classes of people of the two countries a deep awareness of the relationship of "good neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability" between the two nations.

Along with that, Party committees and authorities at all levels need to pay attention to leading and directing departments, branches and organizations to closely coordinate with the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association to actively organize practical activities, ensuring the success of the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Year 2017, while contributing to consolidating and developing the traditional neighborly friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.

President Tran Dai Quang also assigned the Office of the President to synthesize and closely coordinate with relevant ministries, departments, branches and localities to research and resolve policies and regimes, as well as promptly propose to competent authorities to reward units and individuals of the Vietnamese Volunteer Army who helped Cambodia with many feats and achievements but have not been honored.

In addition, agencies, organizations and businesses need to coordinate and create favorable conditions for former volunteer soldiers to revisit the old battlefields in 2017 and on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Cambodia's liberation from the genocide.

According to Baotintuc.vn