Cambodia's First Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun speaks at the ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of Việt Nam's National Day on August 20. VNA/VNS Photo

PHNOM PENH — Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV), headed by General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Tô Lâm, Việt Nam will achieve its two major long-term development goals set for 2030 and 2045, according to Cambodia's First Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun.

He made the statement while attending a ceremony held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia to mark the 81st anniversary of Việt Nam's National Day (September 2, 1945–2026).

The event also saw the presence of President of the Cambodian National Assembly Khuon Sudary, Vice Presidents of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) Tea Banh and Men Sam An, among others.

Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyễn Minh Vũ said the important event at Ba Đình Square on September 2, 1945 marked a historic milestone, heralding a new era of independence and freedom for Việt Nam.

Over the past 81 years, the Vietnamese people, drawing on long-standing national traditions, resilience, wisdom and aspiration for development, have stayed united to overcome numerous difficulties and challenges to transform the country from a colony into an independent, unified and increasingly prosperous nation.

The ambassador highlighted the 14th National Party Congress held in January 2026, which set out major development goals, including turning Việt Nam into a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income status by 2030, and a high-income developed country by 2045.

Vũ also expressed his pleasure at Cambodia's sustained political stability, effective macroeconomic governance, strong growth in trade and investment, and expanding international engagement.

Việt Nam–Cambodia relations have also reached new heights, with political trust strengthened through frequent high-level visits and exchanges. The two sides have maintained close coordination at the Party, State and people-to-people levels, while bilateral economic, trade and investment ties remain a bright spot. Two-way trade reached a record nearly 7.8 billion USD in the first seven months of 2026, up 10.3 per cent year on year.

The diplomat expressed his belief that the "good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability" between Việt Nam and Cambodia will continue to deepen across all areas in an increasingly substantive and effective manner.

On behalf of the Cambodian Government and people, Neth Savoeun congratulated Việt Nam's Party, State and people on its dynamic socio-economic development, particularly its economic growth of over eight per cent in 2025.

He affirmed that Cambodia attaches great importance to its close and comprehensive cooperation with Việt Nam, which is founded on mutual respect and support. He described the friendship between the two countries as special and invaluable, stressing that mutual assistance, both in the past and at present, has contributed to development and prosperity for their peoples.

Cambodia, he said, always remembers the historical truth about mutual support and sacrifices made by the peoples of both countries, including Việt Nam's assistance in helping liberate the Cambodian people from the genocidal regime.

The Deputy PM added that in 2027, Cambodia and Việt Nam will jointly organise major activities to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations (June 24, 1967–2027).

At the ceremony, more than 500 guests visited a photo exhibition highlighting the two countries' diplomatic activities, promotional booths of Vietnamese businesses operating in Cambodia, and displays reviewing major bilateral events in 2026. They also enjoyed Vietnamese cuisine and musical performances by artists from HCM City's Grandioso band. — VNA/VNS