Deputy Minister Nguyễn Mạnh Cường receives a token of appreciation from Cambodian Minister of Commerce Cham Nimul at their meeting in Phnom Penh on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photos Hoàng Minh

PHNOM PENH — A delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Deputy Minister Nguyễn Mạnh Cường, paid a visit to Cambodia from January 12-13, during which they held meetings with senior Cambodian officials to discuss measures to enhance substantive and effective cooperation between the two countries.

On Tuesday, Cường had a meeting with Cambodian Minister of Commerce Cham Nimul during which the Vietnamese official highly valued bilateral trade cooperation, noting that two-way trade reached US$11.33 billion in 2025.

For her part, Cham Nimul congratulated Việt Nam on its recent economic and trade achievements, describing them as a valuable reference for Cambodia. She expressed his confidence that Việt Nam will continue to record strong economic growth in the ASEAN region and globally in the time ahead.

The two sides discussed measures to strengthen economic and trade connectivity, with a shared goal of raising bilateral trade turnover to $20 billion in the near future.

Earlier, on Monday, Cường paid a courtesy call on Neth Savoeun, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Authority for Combating Drugs of Cambodia.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Mạnh Cường meets with Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Authority for Combating Drugs of Cambodia in Phnom Penh on Monday.

At the meeting, the Vietnamese official congratulated Cambodia on its recent development achievements, including sustained economic growth that has contributed to socio-economic stability and improved living standards for the Cambodian people.

Neth Savoeun, in turn, congratulated Việt Nam on its notable development results, particularly its impressive 8.02 per cent economic growth in 2025, reflecting the strong recovery and dynamism of the Vietnamese economy. He also praised Việt Nam’s growing role and standing in the region and the world, expressing his confidence that Việt Nam would successfully organise the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam.

Both sides underscored the importance of enhancing coordination among ministries, sectors and localities, maintaining and effectively utilising existing cooperation mechanisms, and promoting more substantive and effective collaboration. These efforts will further deepen the good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between Việt Nam and Cambodia, while contributing to regional peace, stability and development. — VNA/VNS