PHNOM PENH — The visit by Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng offers Việt Nam and Cambodia a chance to chart a new course for their relationship, said Cambodia’s Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen at his meeting with the Vietnamese leader in Phnom Penh on Thursday.

Hun Sen, who is President of the Cambodian People’s Party, said the visit by Party General Secretary Trọng during the Việt Nam-Cambodia Friendship Year bears historical significance and constitutes a vivid manifestation of the time-honoured traditional friendship between the two parties.

The leaders agreed that achievements attained over the past 50 years serve as an important foundation and provide a springboard for the two countries to lift their ties to the next level with durable trust, productive and concrete assistance, broader co-operation and closer coordination at multilateral forums.

They affirmed that changes on the world arena cannot affect the solidarity and friendship between the two countries, expressing their belief that the current visit to Cambodia by Party General Secretary Trọng and the recent visit to Việt Nam by Prime Minister Hun Sen will help spur the multi-faceted co-operation between the two countries.

They agreed that regular meetings and contacts between senior Party and State officials should be maintained, and education on the bilateral ties for people, especially youngsters, promoted.

They reaffirmed the principle of banning any political and military force from using each other’s territory to threaten the other’s security, stressing the need to reinforce collaboration on humanitarian activities, managing the shared border, checkpoints and activities at sea, and combating trans-national crimes.

They reached agreement on accelerating the search and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers fallen in Cambodia.

They agreed to step up links between their two economies, focusing on infrastructure, energy, tourism, agriculture, forestry and fishery, towards achieving a two-way trade value of US$5 billion prior to 2025.

Party General Secretary Trọng raised the need to implement co-operative initiatives in the greater Mekong sub-region on the basis of protecting the environment without negatively affecting the livelihoods of people living along the river.

He also referred to the development of a development triangle between Việt Nam, Laos and Cambodia and co-operation in the greater Mekong sub-region. On the East Sea issue, the leaders agreed to continue working closely with countries concerned to push for the settlement of the dispute by peaceful measures on the basis of international law. 

At the meeting, the Vietnamese Party leader asked the PM to help the Vietnamese community lead a stable life, enjoy fair treatment and contribute to the host country’s growth.

Party General Secretary Trọng and his entourage laid flowers at the statue of Norodom Sihanouk, and visited the King’s mother, Norodom Monineath Sihanouk. King Norodom Sihamoni hosted a state banquet in honour of the Vietnamese leader and his entourage. — VNS