Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) and President of the Cambodian Senate Samdech Say Chhum had talks in Hà Nội on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính thanked Cambodia for its ongoing attention to the issue of people of Vietnamese origin in the country, as well as Vietnamese people, being scammed into illegal work.

He made the remarks on Tuesday in Hà Nội as he held talks with the President of the Cambodian Senate Samdech Say Chhum, who is on a three-day visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ.

The Vietnamese Government leader hopes Cambodia will continue to address the difficulties faced by Vietnamese people in Cambodia, helping them settle and integrate into the local society and act as a 'bridge of friendship' between the two countries; facilitating the Vietnamese enterprises and investors who are doing businesses in Cambodia.

He urged the two countries' relevant authorities to step up cooperation in rescuing Vietnamese people who were tricked into forced labour in many illegal foreigners-owned business establishments in Cambodia in recent times and asked the Cambodian authorities to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese victims to return home safely.

During the talks, PM expressed his belief that the visit of the Cambodian Senate leader would contribute greatly to the traditional ties between the two countries, congratulating recent successes of Cambodia, including COVID-19 prevention and control and quick socio-economic recovery, and Cambodia's contributions as Chair of ASEAN and AIPA in 2022.

He said ASEAN Summit held in Phnom Penh in November would certainly succeed, contributing to the building of a peaceful, stable, prosperous ASEAN Community with ever-growing stature.

PM Chính highly appreciated the recent cooperation between the two countries to organise meaningful activities within the "Việt Nam-Cambodia, Cambodia-Việt Nam Friendship Year 2022" framework, especially the 45th anniversary of Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen's journey to topple the Pol Pot genocidal regime.

He suggested the two countries' legislative bodies do more in promoting bilateral relations, especially in building institutions and legal systems, and creating a favourable legal corridor to strengthen cooperation in all fields; further coordinate to supervise and promote the ministries, branches, localities and enterprises of the two sides to implement signed bilateral agreements effectively.

President of Cambodian Senate Samdech Say Chhum congratulated the comprehensive achievements that the Government and people of Việt Nam, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, have achieved over the past time in đổi mới (renewal), national development and international integration, expressed his belief that Việt Nam would maintain its development momentum, towards fulfilling the goal of becoming a high-income industrialised country by 2045.

President Samdech Say Chhum said that in the current complicated global situation, the two countries needed to continue to preserve and constantly strengthen the friendly, neighbourly relationship and solidarity of the two peoples to overcome difficulties together and coordinate better at regional, global forums.

The two leaders noted with pleasure the growing relations between Việt Nam and Cambodia, with high-level contacts maintained and bilateral trade reaching US$9.5 billion in 2021 (up 80 per cent compared to 2020) and $8.45 billion in 2022 (up 16.7 per cent year-on-year) even in the face of COVID-19 pandemic.

Discussing multilateral cooperation, PM Chính suggested the two countries coordinate with other ASEAN member states to strive to maintain ASEAN's unity, solidarity, and central role in strategic issues, including the South China Sea (known in Việt Nam as the East Sea) issue.

On this occasion, the Cambodian Senate leader conveyed the greetings of King Norodom Sihamoni, National Assembly President Samdech Heng Samrin and PM Hun Sen to Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and other leaders of Party, State and National Assembly of Việt Nam.

PM Chính extended his thanks, greetings and best wishes to King Norodom Sihamoni, National Assembly President Samdech Heng Samrin, and his Cambodian counterpart. — VNS