Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with President of the Cambodian Senate

At the meeting, on behalf of the Vietnamese Government and with personal feelings, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his joy and warmly welcomed President Samdech, a close friend of Vietnam, and the high-ranking delegation of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia to their official visit to Vietnam - an important event in the "Vietnam - Cambodia, Cambodia - Vietnam Friendship Year 2022" to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (June 24, 1967 - 2022).

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his joy and warmly welcomed Samdech Say Chhum, a close friend of Vietnam, and the high-ranking delegation of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia on their official visit to Vietnam. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

The Prime Minister believes that President Samdech's visit will achieve many important results, making positive contributions to strengthening the good neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability between the two countries.

The Prime Minister also congratulated the success of the 5th Commune/Ward Council election in Cambodia last June with the great victory of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), demonstrating the great support of the Cambodian people for the CPP; congratulated the great and comprehensive achievements that the Cambodian people have achieved in recent times, under the reign of King Sihamoni and the political system with the CPP as the core and the wise leadership of Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen and Cambodian leaders, including President Samdech, especially in effectively controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, successfully reopening, quickly recovering and continuing to develop the economy - society with many positive results; believing that this is an important premise for Cambodia to win the 2023 National Assembly election and continue to achieve even greater achievements in building a peaceful, independent, democratic and prosperous Cambodia.

The Prime Minister congratulated the success of the 5th Commune/Ward Council election in Cambodia last June with the great victory of the Cambodian People's Party. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

The Head of the Vietnamese Government highly appreciated Cambodia's contributions as Chair of ASEAN and AIPA in 2022; believed that the relevant summits in Phnom Penh next November will be successful, making positive contributions to building a peaceful, stable and prosperous ASEAN Community, while constantly enhancing Cambodia's position and role in the region and the world.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam consistently implements a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, multilateralization, being a good friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community; not choosing sides but choosing justice and reason. Vietnam aims to become a developing country by 2025 with modern industry, surpassing the lower middle income level; by 2030, a developing country with modern industry and upper middle income; and by 2045, a developed country with high income. In particular, building an independent and self-reliant economy is associated with proactive and active international integration, deeply, substantially and effectively.

President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia Samdech Say Chhum congratulated the comprehensive achievements that the Government and people of Vietnam, under the wise leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, have gained in recent times. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Informing about the situation of each country, the Prime Minister said that despite facing many difficulties and challenges, especially the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the influence of complex and unpredictable fluctuations in the world political and economic situation, Vietnam's socio-economic situation in the first three quarters of 2022 has improved in most areas. Of which, GDP in the third quarter increased by 13.67% over the same period in 2021; average GDP in the first three quarters of 2022 increased by 8.83% - the highest 9-month increase in the past 11 years; the macro-economy is stable, inflation is controlled, major balances of the economy and security, social welfare are ensured; political - social stability, national defense - security are strengthened; foreign affairs are promoted and achieved many positive results.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the two countries' successful coordination in organizing many meaningful activities within the framework of the "Vietnam - Cambodia, Cambodia - Vietnam Friendship Year 2022", especially the 45th Anniversary of the "Journey to overthrow the Pol Pot genocidal regime" co-chaired by the two Prime Ministers on June 20 in the border area of ​​Binh Phuoc - Tbong Khmom province and the solemn 55th Anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam - Cambodia diplomatic relations on June 24 in Hanoi. Thereby, it has contributed to raising the awareness and responsibility of all classes of people, especially the young generation of the two countries, for preserving, cultivating and constantly strengthening the friendly neighborly relationship, solidarity and close ties between the two peoples.

The two leaders were pleased to see that the cooperative relationship between the two countries has maintained a stable development momentum in recent times. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hopes that President Samdech - a leader who has made many contributions to nurturing and developing relations between the two countries over the past years - will continue to pay attention to and further promote bilateral cooperation in the coming time. In particular, he supports the maintenance of regular high-level contacts and exchanges and important bilateral cooperation mechanisms on all channels to continuously strengthen the trustful political relationship between the two countries' senior leaders.

The Prime Minister suggested promoting the role of the two countries' legislative bodies in promoting bilateral relations, especially in building institutions, perfecting the legal system, creating a favorable legal corridor for enhancing cooperation in all fields; coordinating supervision and promoting ministries, branches, localities and businesses of both sides to effectively implement agreements signed between the two countries.

In addition, continue to coordinate efforts to maintain momentum and further improve the effectiveness of economic - trade - investment cooperation, contributing to promoting socio-economic recovery and moving towards the goal of building an independent, self-reliant economy, deeply and effectively integrating into the international community of each country. Continue to promote the connection of the two economies, both in terms of hard infrastructure and institutions and policies, as a basis and create new momentum for strengthening cooperation in other areas such as: Trade, investment, energy, tourism, education and training, cooperation between localities, especially border provinces.

The two leaders said the two countries need to continue to closely coordinate and support each other at forums. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh thanked and hoped that Samdech President and the Cambodian Senate would continue to pay attention to and support solutions to remove difficulties for people of Vietnamese origin in Cambodia, helping them stabilize their lives, integrate into the local community, and serve as a bridge of friendship between the two countries; at the same time, creating favorable conditions for Vietnamese investors and businesses doing business in Cambodia; and expressed his thanks to Cambodian authorities for their close coordination with Vietnam in the past time in successfully rescuing many Vietnamese citizens who were defrauded and forced to work illegally at a number of foreign businesses in Cambodia; and suggested that the two sides continue to coordinate closely to move towards a definitive resolution of this issue; Cambodian authorities continue to create favorable conditions for the victims who are Vietnamese citizens to return home safely.

President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia Samdech Say Chhum thanked the Prime Minister for taking the time to receive the delegation; congratulated the comprehensive achievements that the Government and people of Vietnam, under the wise leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, have achieved in recent times in the cause of innovation, national development and international integration, and expressed his belief that Vietnam will maintain its development momentum, towards completing the goal of becoming a developed industrial country with high income by 2045, with an increasingly high position and role in the region and the world.

The President of the Cambodian Senate affirmed,Vietnam - Cambodia have a tradition of solidarity, fighting side by side until the final victory; expressing gratitude to the Party, Government, army and people of Vietnam for their timely and great support to Cambodia throughout history; and affirming that Cambodia will continuously foster the solidarity, good neighborly, comprehensive, sustainable and long-term relationship between the two countries.

President Samdech Say Chhum said that in the context of the complicated and unpredictable developments in the world, the two countries need to continue to preserve and constantly strengthen the friendly and solidarity neighborly relationship between the two peoples, together overcome difficulties, and closely coordinate and support each other at multilateral forums.

The Prime Minister suggested promoting the role of the two countries' legislative bodies in promoting bilateral relations. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

The two leaders were pleased to see that the cooperation between the two countries has maintained a stable development momentum in recent times. Senior leaders of the two countries have maintained regular contact and exchanges, and bilateral cooperation mechanisms continue to be effective. Despite being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the past two years, bilateral economic cooperation has still achieved many positive results. Two-way trade turnover in 2021 reached more than 9.5 billion USD (up nearly 80% compared to 2020); in the first 9 months of 2022, it reached 8.45 billion USD, up 16.7% over the same period in 2021. To date, Vietnam has 198 valid investment projects in Cambodia with a total registered capital of 2.92 billion USD, maintaining its leading position in ASEAN and in the top 5 countries with the largest direct investment capital in Cambodia; Vietnam is the country with the most tourists to Cambodia...

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the President of the Cambodian Senate agreed to continue to coordinate and effectively implement existing agreements and cooperation mechanisms on defense and security on the basis of the great and important achievements that have been achieved; continue to promote the settlement of the remaining 16% of unfinished border demarcation and marker planting to build a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and long-term development between the two countries.

Discussing multilateral cooperation, the two leaders said that in the context of complicated and unpredictable developments in the world and the region, the two countries need to continue to closely coordinate and support each other at forums. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that the two countries should coordinate, together with other member states, to make efforts to maintain solidarity, unity and the central role of ASEAN in strategic issues, including the East Sea issue.

On this occasion, President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia Samdech Say Chhum conveyed the greetings of King Norodom Sihamoni, President of the National Assembly Samdech Heng Samrin and Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of the Party, State and National Assembly of Vietnam; through President of the Senate Samdech Say Chhum, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his thanks, greetings and best wishes to King Norodom Sihamoni, President of the National Assembly Samdech Heng Samrin and Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen./.