National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ holds talks with President of the National Assembly of Cambodia Samdech Heng Samrin in Phnom Penh on November 19. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

PHNOM PENH — National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ held talks with President of the National Assembly of Cambodia Samdech Heng Samrin in Phnom Penh on November 19, following the official welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese leader.

NA Chairman Huệ congratulated Cambodia on positive results on its capacity as ASEAN Chair 2022 and success of the recent 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and related summits.

He believed that Cambodia will successfully hold the 43rd ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-43), making substantive contributions to ASEAN and improving its role and position.

Heng Samrin, for his part, thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for providing support for the Cambodian people in the past struggle for national independence and current national construction and development, especially helping them escape from the genocidal regime.

Hailing Việt Nam’s impressive achievements in the fight against COVID-19 and post-pandemic socio-economic recovery and development, he wished that the Vietnamese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam led by General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, will successfully realise the Resolution adopted by the 13th National Party Congress and make important strides to turn Việt Nam into a modern industrialised nation.

On the occasion, he also thanked Việt Nam for supporting the construction of the Cambodian NA’s new building, thus contributing to improving the working efficiency of the Cambodian legislature. The work is scheduled for completion in 2024.

Expressing satisfaction with the development of Việt Nam-Cambodia ties over the past years, both sides said bilateral political relations have kept growing via the exchange of high-level visits through all channels and effective cooperation mechanisms. They affirmed determination to further consolidate friendship and deepen their substantive and effective cooperation, considering it an indispensable requirement for both countries.

The two sides vowed to continue facilitating the exchange of delegations at all levels; create favourable conditions and seek effective measures to boost cooperation in fields of great potential such as trade-investment, banking, agriculture, industrial crops, education and training, information and communications, transportation, culture and people-to-people exchange while encouraging trade, services and cooperation activities between localities, especially those in border areas.

In national defence-security, they pledged to enhance joint work to fight terrorism, trans-national crimes, smuggling, drug and human trafficking. They expressed the principle of not allowing any hostile force to use the territory of one country to harm the other's security and showed determination to seek mutually acceptable solutions to completing the remaining 16 per cent of land border demarcation, in an effort to build a borderline of peace, stability, cooperation and development between Việt Nam and Cambodia.

Chairman Huệ suggested Cambodia continue creating more favourable conditions related to legal papers for Cambodians of Vietnamese origin to settle down their lives. He thanked Cambodia’s relevant agencies for working closely with Việt Nam to save Vietnamese citizens who were tricked and forced into illegal labour in several foreigners' business establishments in Cambodia. He also hoped for more support to Vietnamese citizens in order to help them return home.

President Heng Samrin promised to protect rights of and ensure non-discrimination against foreign enterprises, including Vietnamese investors, operating in Cambodia.

About coordination between the two legislatures, both leaders highlighted the importance of parliamentary cooperation bilaterally and multilaterally. They also hailed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the two legislatures during the visit.

The Vietnamese guest proposed maintaining high-level visits by the top legislators, NA committees' leaders, female and young parliamentarians, and initially creating conditions for the organisation of the meeting of the Vietnamese and Cambodian friendship parliamentarians in central Việt Nam in December.

Host and guest vowed to oversee the implementation of bilateral and multilateral international treaties and agreements to which the two countries are members, especially new cooperation contents agreed by the two Prime Ministers, build partnerships in upholding international law and promote multilateral solutions to global challenges such as climate change, green and sustainable development, food-energy-water resources and health security while further stepping up joint cooperation and development programmes for the sake of peace, cooperation and development along the border areas.

On regional and global issues, they stressed that Việt Nam and Cambodia need to strengthen coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially within the framework of ASEAN and the Mekong sub-regional cooperation mechanisms; actively contribute to strengthening solidarity and unity and upholding ASEAN’s central role, thus making positive contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

The two leaders underscored the importance of ensuring security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight, enhancing trust building, refraining from threat or use of force, adhering to international law, settling disputes by peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Following the talks, they signed a MoU on cooperation between the two legislatures; and witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese NA Office and the Secretariat of the Cambodian NA, and the handover of equipment package worth US$100,000 – a gift of the Vietnamese NA for its Cambodian counterpart.

NA Chairman meets Cambodian Senate President

The same day, Chairman Huệ met with Cambodian Senate President Samdech Say Chhum. At the meeting, the two leaders believed that recent mutual visits by Vietnamese and Cambodian senior leaders will create a strong impetus to promote the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries and their legislative bodies.

They agreed to strengthen collaboration in all channels of Party, Government, Parliament and people-to-people diplomacy; and continue exchanging legislative information and experience between their specialised committees.

Based on sound outcomes achieved in the Việt Nam-Cambodia and Cambodia-Việt Nam Friendship Year 2022, Huệ suggested the sides pay further attention to educating the people, especially youth, about the bilateral ties.

National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ and Cambodian Senate President Samdech Say Chhum witness the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Office of the Vietnamese NA and the Secretariat of the Cambodian Senate. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

Both leaders expressed their delight at the fact that the legislatures of Việt Nam, Cambodia, and Laos upgraded the conference of heads of NA committees for external relations to a biennial one of the NA chairpersons, which is expected to be held for the first time in Laos next year.

Huệ said he hopes Samdech Say Chhum will further direct the promotion of the two countries' friendship and comprehensive cooperation; support people of Vietnamese origin to have a stable life and integrate well into the host society; and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to invest and do business in Cambodia.

After the meeting, the leaders witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Office of the Vietnamese NA and the Secretariat of the Cambodian Senate.

In the evening of the same day, President of the Cambodian NA Samdech Heng Samrin hosted a banquet for Chairman Huệ and the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese NA. — VNS