National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn delivers a speech at the 11th Plenary Session of International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace (IPTP). — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

PHNOM PENH — Cambodian media outlets have extensively covered the four-day official visit (November 21-24) of Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn, commending the solidarity, neighbourliness, and cooperative ties between the two countries.

Among the nearly 30 activities in the trip, the inauguration of Cambodia’s new NA administrative building in Phnom Penh on November 21 garnered significant attention. Cambodian news agency AKP quoted NA President Samdech Khuon Sudary as expressing profound gratitude to the Vietnamese Party, State, and people for their US$25 million support to construct the building. She emphasised it enhances the local legislative body's capacity to undertake governance reforms, transition toward a digital parliament, and improve the efficiency of its Secretariat’s personnel.

According to the AKP, the 12-storey establishment, funded by Việt Nam, features modern facilities and Khmer-style architecture and will serve various administrative functions, including housing NA committees, meeting rooms, and Secretariat offices.

The news agency noted at the inauguration ceremony, the top legislators of Việt Nam and Cambodia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening comprehensive cooperation between the two parliaments, both bilaterally and multilaterally, aligning with the aspirations of their people.

In another article, the AKP described the visit as a step forward in bolstering the countries’ neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and sustainable relations, as well as in promoting Việt Nam’s multilateral relations and parliamentary diplomacy for peace and regional stability with Cambodia.

Meanwhile, the Khmer Times ran an article on the sides’ enduring and long-lasting friendship, calling the visit a milestone in enhancing bilateral parliamentary cooperation and deepening ties between the two neighbours.

Another Khmer Times piece on new heights in the nations’ economic and trade cooperation featured analysis by Uch Leang, Acting Director of the Department of Asian, African, and Middle-East Studies under the International Relations Institute of Cambodia at the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC). The article highlighted robust trade growth over the past decade and significant investment opportunities.

The RAC researcher expressed his optimism that Cambodia and Việt Nam would continue creating favourable conditions for businesses and investors to advance trade and investment. He recommended government agencies proactively propose policies promoting such development, focusing on digital transformation, the circular economy, technology-driven innovation, and experience-sharing. — VNS