The 20th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on economic, cultural, scientific and technical cooperation

Kỳ họp lần thứ 20 Ủy ban Hỗn hợp Việt Nam – Campuchia về hợp tác kinh tế, văn hóa, khoa học và kỹ thuật

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son delivers the opening speech at the 20th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

This meeting aims to implement the agreement between the two governments of Vietnam and Cambodia and within the framework of the official visit to Vietnam of Deputy Prime Minister , Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia Prak Sokhoon. Attending the meeting were leaders and officials of many ministries and sectors of the two countries.

In his opening speech, Minister Bui Thanh Son was pleased to note that the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia has been continuously consolidated and developed, becoming increasingly deeper and more substantial since the 19th meeting of the Joint Committee (December 2021).

In particular, ministries, branches and localities of the two countries have successfully coordinated to organize many important events and activities to celebrate the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2022, contributing to further tightening the close cooperative relationship between ministries, branches and localities as well as helping to raise awareness among all walks of life about the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn speaks at the 20th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on Economic , Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

Speaking at the meeting, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn agreed with Minister Bui Thanh Son's assessment of the bilateral relationship and expressed satisfaction with the fact that the two sides exchanged many high-level delegations in 2022; bilateral cooperation mechanisms and cooperation between ministries, sectors and localities have been consolidated, enhanced and increasingly effective.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn emphasized that this meeting is an opportunity for the two sides to coordinate to promote and further enhance the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation at regional and international forums.

In the spirit of friendship and mutual understanding, the two sides exchanged in-depth opinions on the results of cooperation between ministries, departments and branches of the two countries in recent times in the fields of politics-diplomacy, defense, security, border cooperation, economy, trade, investment, transportation, education and training, culture, sports, tourism, health, justice... as well as cooperation between localities of the two countries.

The two sides were pleased with the positive developments in the bilateral relationship in recent times, especially the successful coordination in organizing the High-level Meeting between the two Parties on February 18, 2023, the official visits of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to Cambodia in 2022, as well as many meaningful activities within the framework of the "Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2022" to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (June 24, 1967 - June 24, 2022).

Panorama of the Session. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

Defense and security cooperation has increasingly become an important pillar in the overall relationship between the two countries. Economic cooperation has been a highlight in bilateral cooperation in recent years.

In 2022, bilateral trade turnover reached 10.57 billion USD, up nearly 11% over the same period in 2021. Vietnam is Cambodia's third largest trading partner in ASEAN. To date, Vietnam has 205 valid investment projects in Cambodia with a total capital of 2.94 billion USD, ranking first in ASEAN and among the top 5 countries with the largest direct investment in Cambodia.

The two sides agreed to continue maintaining high-level exchanges, consultations and bilateral mechanisms, effectively implementing signed agreements and treaties; enhancing security and defense cooperation; promoting connectivity between the two economies; continuing to promote the growth momentum of bilateral trade and investment; and considering appropriate policies to remove difficulties and obstacles for businesses of the two countries.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn signed a cooperation memorandum. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

The two sides also agreed to further strengthen cooperation in the fields of transport connectivity, tourism, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, post and telecommunications, information technology, labor, natural resources and environment, etc.; promote cooperation between localities of the two countries and cooperation within the framework of the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle (CLV); continue to cooperate effectively in searching for, collecting and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Cambodia.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn exchanged a cooperation memorandum. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

At the end of the meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia Prak Sokhonn signed the Minutes of the Meeting on behalf of the two Governments.

The two sides agreed that the 21st meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Commission will take place in Cambodia at an appropriate time in 2024.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn took a souvenir photo with delegates attending the 20th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

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