Assoc. Prof. Dr. Neak Chandarith, Director of the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy (IISPP). VNA/VNS Photo

PHNOM PENH — The state visit to Cambodia by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm represents a historic milestone and a new political turning point in relations between the two Southeast Asian neighbours, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Neak Chandarith, Director of the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy (IISPP) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

The scholar described the February 6 trip as a landmark event of major importance for bilateral ties during an interview with the Vietnam News Agency.

He noted that selecting Cambodia as the second destination, after Laos, in the Party chief’s first overseas tour following the 14th National Party Congress underscores Việt Nam’s view of Cambodia and the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) as a top foreign-policy priority.

According to Dr. Neak Chandarith, the outcomes of the 14th Party Congress signal that in a new era of development for Việt Nam and the region, the two countries need to further strengthen their traditional friendship and close solidarity under the motto “solidarity, democracy, discipline, progress and development.” The visit, he stressed, reflects a high degree of political trust.

The participation of Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn demonstrates unified backing from Việt Nam’s top leadership for enhancing traditional ties with Cambodia, the scholar said.

The visit highlights the sustainability of ties through “Party-channel diplomacy,” which serves as a core mechanism ensuring political confidence between the two leadership systems, he added.

During the visit, General Secretary Lâm co-chaired a high-level meeting between the the Political Bureau of the CPV and the Standing Committee of the CPP, as well as a meeting among leaders of the CPV, CPP and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP).

According to the scholar, these engagements not only symbolise friendship but also safeguard mutual trust from leadership changes or external pressures.

He described the bilateral politburo meeting as a strategic link connecting the leadership “brains” of both countries, ensuring that development plans for 2026–2030 advance in parallel, with the two sides supporting rather than competing with each other.

Regarding the Việt Nam–Cambodia–Laos meeting, Dr. Neak Chandarith highlighted the CPP’s coordinating role and said the mechanism complements ASEAN by helping address lingering issues, particularly in security and trust. Above all, the trilateral solidarity serves as a “security pillar,” demonstrating to the region and the world that the three countries remain inseparable partners.

Relations among Việt Nam, Cambodia and Laos, founded on security, solidarity, democracy, progress and development, are closely interconnected and indivisible, he stressed. — VNA/VNS