Vietnam - Cambodia Defense Ministers' Talks

Photo caption — General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member and Minister of National Defense , and General Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Cambodia, inspect the honor guard at the welcoming ceremony. Photo: Bui Giang/VNA

After the welcoming ceremony, the two Ministers held talks and discussed the contents of cooperation in the field of defense and security in the coming time. This is an activity within the framework of the second Vietnam - Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange program.

At the talks, General Phan Van Giang emphasized that following the success of the first Vietnam - Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange in Binh Phuoc (now Dong Nai province) and Kratie province in May 2022, the second Vietnam - Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange continues to affirm itself as an effective and unique cooperation model between the two countries. This is an activity of profound political significance, demonstrating the political determination of Vietnam and Cambodia in strengthening solidarity and friendship, promoting substantive cooperation, and jointly building a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development... Over the past time, the two countries' Ministries of National Defense have thoroughly grasped the policies and orientations agreed upon by the two countries' senior leaders. Military and defense cooperation between the two countries has become increasingly substantive and effective, contributing to consolidating a peaceful and stable environment for development in each country.

General Tea Seiha, Minister of National Defense of Cambodia, sent his condolences to the Vietnamese people affected by natural disasters, storms and floods in recent times.

The General congratulated Vietnam on successfully organizing the country's important events in recent times, creating conditions for the cooperative relationship between the two countries to develop more and more sustainably. General Tea Seiha thanked the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense for its attention and assistance to the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense in recent times; expressed his hope that in the coming time, on the basis of this Border Defense Friendship Exchange, the cooperative relationship between the two Ministries will become increasingly stronger.

Regarding the direction of cooperation in the coming time, the two Ministers of Defense agreed that the two sides will continue to focus on many key contents. Accordingly, the two sides will continue to consolidate and further tighten the solidarity and close relationship; enhance the exchange of situations, and effectively advise the senior leaders of the two countries on military and defense work. The two sides will increase meetings and contacts at high and all levels, effectively promoting existing cooperation mechanisms such as: Defense Policy Dialogue at the Deputy Minister of Defense level; enhance exchanges of young leaders and young officers of the two countries' armies; create breakthroughs in the quality of cooperation in human resource training; continue to closely consult and support each other at multilateral mechanisms and forums in the region and internationally. The two sides will continue to promote cooperation between the three countries of Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia, including an annual meeting between the three Ministers of Defense, and a joint exercise to prevent and combat non-traditional security challenges between the three armies.

The two sides continue to closely coordinate in managing and protecting the land and sea borders; increase information exchange, situation, bilateral patrols, border protection, border markers, fight against transnational crimes, actively contribute to the work of demarcation and marker planting between the two countries; promptly coordinate, prevent, stop and appropriately handle issues arising at sea, and treat fishermen humanely. The two sides request ministries, branches and localities to continue to coordinate with the two countries' armies in border cooperation and management; strengthen economic infrastructure connectivity, border clearance; create favorable conditions for people at the border to travel, trade and develop the economy in accordance with the laws of each country and the agreements between the two countries.

After agreeing on the contents of the talks, the two Ministers signed the 2026 Cooperation Plan; Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening cooperation in the field of human resource training and education; Agreement on border cooperation and witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Moc Bai International Border Guard Station, Vietnam and the Ba Vet City Gendarmerie Command, Cambodia.

*On the same day, General Phan Van Giang, General Tea Sheiha and delegates attended many meaningful activities within the framework of the second Vietnam - Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange program held in Vietnam. These activities included: Planting friendship trees; Joint military medical exercise between the two countries' armies; Inauguration ceremony of Ben Cau Primary School's boarding school (Ben Cau commune, Tay Ninh province); Twinning ceremony of residential clusters on both sides of the border between Long Cuong hamlet, Long Thuan commune, Tay Ninh province and O Ta Mo hamlet, Mo No Rum commune, Svay Teap district, Svay Rieng province, Cambodia...

The second Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange took place in the common border area of the two countries, Tay Ninh province of Vietnam and Svay Rieng province of Cambodia. This is a key defense foreign affairs event and activity in 2025, meaningful in many aspects; contributing to strengthening solidarity and friendship, promoting substantive and effective cooperation between the border management and protection forces, local authorities and people in the border areas of the two countries.

The activities contribute to building a peaceful, friendly, stable, cooperative and developed Vietnam-Cambodia border; consolidate political trust, directly contribute to promoting and strengthening the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam-Cambodia, Cambodia-Vietnam; contribute to fighting against views and arguments that distort the Vietnam-Cambodia relationship.

This is also a meaningful event for foreign information, introducing and promoting the image of Vietnam as a peace-loving, friendly and amicable country with neighboring countries to officers, soldiers of the armed forces, people, our compatriots abroad, and international friends.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/hoi-dam-bo-truong-quoc-phong-viet-nam-campuchia-20251113151523655.htm