Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the inauguration ceremony of the new facilities at the base. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam respects Cambodia's sovereignty and independence and consistently supports Cambodia's peaceful and stable development as a responsible member of the international community, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng stated in response to questions over the completion of Ream naval base in Cambodia.

"Việt Nam always wishes to retain and strengthen good relations with all countries in the world, and at the same time, all cooperation among nations needs to actively contribute to peace, security, stability and prosperity in the world, which is in accordance with international practice, on the basis of international law and fundamental principles of the UN Charter," Hằng noted at the regular press conference on Thursday in Hà Nội.

The Ream naval base, located in Sihanoukville Province in southwestern Cambodia, was inaugurated after three years of upgrades and construction on April 5, which includes a new pier, modernised infrastructure and the Cambodia-China Joint Logistics and Training Centre.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the inauguration ceremony of the new facilities at the base said that "Cambodia, under the leadership of the Cambodian People’s Party government, has no intention —whether in the past, present or future — of violating its own constitution by allowing any country or military to establish an exclusive base on Cambodian soil."

He also stressed that the Ream naval port is entirely under Cambodian sovereignty and will be used to strengthen national defence capabilities.

He stated that the expansion of the base has not been concealed from other nations and that warships from all friendly countries are welcome to visit and conduct joint military exercises, except for very large warships that the base cannot accommodate, local media reported. — VNS