Young officers from the Việt Nam Border Guard and the Cambodian Army and Gendarmerie read a letter of determination, pledging joint efforts to safeguard a peaceful, friendly, and prosperous border. — VNA/VNS Photos Minh Phú

TÂY NINH — Young officers from the Việt Nam Border Guard and the Cambodian Army and Gendarmerie held a dialogue themed “Fostering Tradition, Building the Future” on November 12 in the southern province of Tây Ninh.

Major General Vũ Quốc Ân, Deputy Political Commissar of the Border Guard Command, and Lieutenant General Tien Sophornvong, Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of the Cambodian Border Guard Department, co-chaired the dialogue.

Việt Nam and Cambodia share a 1,258-km land border running through 10 Vietnamese and nine Cambodian provinces.

Over the years, the governments, armed forces and peoples of the two countries have effectively implemented bilateral cooperation agreements, treaties and regulations, helping to ensure territorial sovereignty and security-order along their shared border, while cooperation among young officers of the border protection forces has continued to deepen.

Major General Nguyễn Kim Khanh, former Deputy Commander of the Border Guard Command, who directly took part in helping the Cambodian people escape the genocidal regime, shared that the sincere affection of the Cambodian people for Vietnamese soldiers remains a lifelong memory for him.

He said such heartfelt gratitude was a great source of spiritual strength that motivated Vietnamese troops to fulfil their noble international mission.

He stressed that the relationship between the two countries’ militaries and people was built on blood and sacrifice across generations.

He expressed hope that today’s young officers of both nations would carry forward this tradition through solidarity, mutual understanding and lasting cooperation, always placing peace and friendship above all else.

Delegates attend the event, holding the Vietnamese and Cambodian national flags.

Lieutenant Colonel Trương Đông Phi, Deputy Political Officer of the Mỹ Thạnh Tây Border Guard Station under the Tây Ninh Provincial Border Guard Command, noted that in recent years, border forces of both countries have strengthened coordination in supporting border communities to improve production and livelihoods.

They have also promoted people-to-people diplomacy, provided healthcare assistance, and implemented meaningful initiatives such as the “Supporting Students to School” programme, thereby contributing to tightening the solidarity, friendship and close bond between border forces and the people of Việt Nam and Cambodia.

Colonel Lun Luch of the Royal Cambodian Army said Cambodian young officers always treasure the enormous sacrifices of generations of Việt Nam People’s Army soldiers who shed their blood to help liberate Cambodia from the genocidal regime.

He expressed strong confidence that Việt Nam and Cambodia will continue to preserve and promote their traditional solidarity and friendship - a precious legacy nurtured by previous generations.

Emphasising the pivotal role of the youth, especially young military officers, he affirmed that they form the core force in inheriting and strengthening the special Việt Nam–Cambodia friendship.

In the current context, he said, young people from both nations should further exchanges, learn from each other’s experience, and jointly build a border of peace, cooperation and development, thereby maintaining stability and enabling residents on both sides to live and work in peace.

On this occasion, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence awarded scholarships to 60 disadvantaged students from both countries. — VNA/VNS