Dr. Eng Kok Thay, Secretary of State at the Office of the Cabinet of the Royal Cambodian Government. VNA/VNS Photo

PHNOM PENH – By promoting the national spirit – a cornerstone of self-reliant, resilient, and creative development, Việt Nam has obtained significant development achievements and become a model for other countries across ASEAN, Asia, and the wider international community, said Dr. Eng Kok Thay, Secretary of State at the Office of the Cabinet of the Royal Cambodian Government.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the 80th anniversary of the National Day of Việt Nam (September 2, 1945 – 2025), Eng Kok Thay, who is also a political analyst, lauded the achievements of the Vietnamese people, highlighting their industriousness, self-reliance, and resilience.

He recalled the shared history of Việt Nam and Cambodia under the French colonial rule, the joint struggles against foreign aggression, their common political and social journey, and the engagement in peace building in each country. He also highlighted Vietnam’s reunification and shift to a socialist-oriented market economy, which brought about lasting peace and robust growth.

According to the Cambodian official, the country’s bold economic reforms and policy adjustments under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam have led to remarkable progress in poverty reduction, higher life expectancy, improved living standards, and gender equality.

He noted that with the household poverty rate now at a very low level, the Vietnamese people are enjoying happiness, every freedom right, and the right to decide their own future.

Eng Kok Thay expressed his admiration for the Vietnamese people's creativity and relentless efforts, especially in fulfilling the United Nations Millennium Development Goals ahead of many other nations in ASEAN and the world, and it is well on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

He is confident Việt Nam will continue to meet and even surpass its development targets, given what it has attained over the past eight decades and its people's virtues, he added.

The official also congratulated Việt Nam on the achievements in caring for the well-being and interests of ethnic minorities, as well as in promoting their cultural and religious life, describing these as demonstrations of Vietnam's commitment to inclusive and harmonious development and the great national solidarity.

Beyond its domestic progress, he stressed, Việt Nam has actively engaged in international issues in the spirit of independence, peace, multilateralism, and respect for each other's sovereignties. Its participation in the ASEAN security cooperation and UN peacekeeping missions clearly reflect Vietnam’s contributions to regional and global stability.

Eng Kok Thay affirmed that based on its spirit of independence, resilience, and creativity, along with steadfastness in independence and sovereignty, Việt Nam has secured enormous development achievements and joined the international community in maintaining peace, adapting to climate change, fighting disease outbreaks, and handling other issues. _ VNS