Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang emphasized the significance and importance ofPresident To Lam's visit to Cambodia for the long-standing traditional friendship between the two countries.

At the invitation of Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, President To Lam will pay a state visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia from July 12-13.
Speaking to VNA reporters in Phnom Penh ahead of the visit, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang emphasized the significance and importance of the visit to the long-standing traditional friendship between the two countries.
On this occasion, the Ambassador also shared the achievements in the fields of cooperation between the two countries in recent times, as well as the opportunities and priorities in bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries in the future. Below is the content of the interview:
- President To Lam is scheduled to pay a state visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia on July 12-13 as part of his first foreign trip since taking office. How does the Ambassador assess the significance and importance of the visit to the Vietnam-Cambodia bilateral relationship?
Ambassador Nguyen Huy Tang: President To Lam's visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia this time takes place in the context of the two countries celebrating the 57th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations (June 24, 1967 - June 24, 2024).
This is Comrade To Lam’s first foreign visit after being elected as President. This once again affirms that the Party and State of Vietnam always attach importance to strengthening and consolidating the solidarity, friendship and cooperation between neighboring countries, including the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Recently, direct meetings and exchanges between the two countries' senior leaders have taken place regularly, thereby reaching strategic agreements to guide the overall relationship between the two countries.
With such spirit, I believe that this state visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia by President To Lam is of great significance, continuing to consolidate, cultivate, expand, strengthen, and deepen the relationship between the two countries under the motto of “good neighbors, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability,” maintaining the friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Cambodia forever.
- Speaking at the event commemorating the 47th anniversary of the “Journey to overthrow the Pol Pot genocidal regime” on June 20 in Tboung Khmum province, bordering Vietnam, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet emphasized the importance and historical tradition of the friendship, solidarity and mutual assistance between the two neighboring countries.
Having directly attended the above event, how does the Ambassador feel about that message in the context of the current relationship between the two countries and the volatile world and regional situation?
Ambassador Nguyen Huy Tang: This is not the first time Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet has given such a meaningful message.
During his official visit to Vietnam in December 2023, Prime Minister Hun Manet also affirmed the importance of the relationship between the two neighboring countries Vietnam and Cambodia.
He also expressed his pleasure at the frank and sincere exchange with the head of the Vietnamese Government, thereby contributing to fostering and strengthening the comprehensive cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia.
On the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the “Journey to Overthrow the Genocide Regime” in Tboung Khmum province on June 20, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet once again emphasized the historical significance for each country and for the relations between countries. That is a factor contributing to ensuring the development of each nation.
The meaningful message that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet delivered, along with Cambodia's annual celebration of the "Journey to Overthrow the Pol Pot Genocide Regime", not only reminds us all to always remember the historical milestone marking the beginning of the struggle to overthrow the brutal Pol Pot Genocide regime in the beautiful country of Cambodia, but also proves the friendship, solidarity, and steadfast loyalty between the two nations and peoples of Vietnam and Cambodia.
I believe that the relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia has become a rule and a factor ensuring the sustainable development of each country.
With that spirit, the two countries will continue to strengthen their ties and bond more closely together, in the context of the world and regional situation with many rapid, complex and unpredictable changes, especially the fierce geostrategic competition between major countries, the sabotage of hostile forces against each country and the relationship between the two countries.
This requires Vietnam and Cambodia to continue to unite and bond more closely, because objective geopolitical conditions make the security, stability and development of one country also the security, stability and development of the other.

- The visit to Cambodia by President To Lam and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation took place in the context of the two countries celebrating the 57th anniversary of the official establishment of diplomatic relations (June 24, 1967 - June 24, 2024).
According to the Ambassador, what are the important events and outstanding achievements of the diplomatic relations between Cambodia and Vietnam in recent times, especially in the first months of 2024?
Ambassador Nguyen Huy Tang: Vietnam-Cambodia relations in recent years have achieved many outstanding achievements, associated with important events of the two countries.
Along with the development of political relations as the foundation for the overall relationship, cooperation in the field of security and defense is increasingly deepened and effective. From there, it contributes to maintaining peace, stability, security and safety for each country.
The two sides have regularly coordinated closely and effectively implemented the 5-year cooperation protocol and annual cooperation plan between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Public Security and the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Interior.
The two sides regularly exchange information, share experiences, and coordinate together to defeat and neutralize plots and tricks of hostile forces against the two countries, as well as the bilateral relationship in recent times.
In the economic field, in recent years, economic cooperation between the two countries has seen very positive changes. To date, Vietnam has 208 valid investment projects in Cambodia with a total registered capital of nearly 3 billion USD. In return, Cambodia also has 35 investment projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of 75.76 million USD.
Regarding trade, this is also a field that has seen very positive changes in recent years, especially in 2020 and 2021. Despite being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, two-way trade turnover between the two countries has seen spectacular growth.
In 2020, two-way trade turnover between the two countries reached 5.32 billion USD. In 2021, it grew dramatically to 9.53 billion USD. In 2022, trade between the two countries continued to maintain a good growth rate, reaching 10.57 billion USD.
By 2023, due to the impact of the global economic recession, trade turnover between the two countries, although decreasing, still reached a high level of 8.57 billion USD. In the first 5 months of this year, two-way trade turnover reached 4.6 billion USD and is expected to return to the 10 billion USD mark in 2024.
In addition, cooperation in the fields of education, training, science and technology, culture, health, etc. continues to be valued by both sides. In particular, the field of educational cooperation is a strategic factor, ensuring the maintenance and development of friendly relations between the two countries, achieving remarkable achievements in recent years.
In addition, the cooperation between ministries, branches, the National Assembly of the two countries, localities, and socio-political organizations has also seen substantial changes. Localities sharing a border have strengthened economic cooperation, jointly built infrastructure, supported each other in medical services, and provided medical examination and treatment for people in border areas, and jointly ensured security and safety in the border areas of the two countries.
- In that context, could the Ambassador share the opportunities and priorities in the Vietnam-Cambodia bilateral relationship in the coming time?
Ambassador Nguyen Huy Tang: I think that in the coming years, besides difficulties, the Cambodia-Vietnam and Vietnam-Cambodia relations have many opportunities to continue to expand and develop the relationship to new heights, especially in the context that the Government of the 7th term of Cambodia has recently issued a series of policies and open mechanisms to promote socio-economic development, bringing Cambodia to the goal of becoming an upper middle-income country by 2030, and a high-income country by 2050. This creates very favorable opportunities for businesses of other countries in general and Vietnamese businesses in particular.
I think that besides the traditional areas of cooperation that the two sides have maintained and developed for a long time, there are many opportunities for the two sides to continue to expand cooperation. For example, cooperation in high technology, digital technology, clean technology, green technology, digital transformation, processing industry...
These are the areas that will attract and promote the interest of our businesses, as well as Cambodian businesses.
In addition, tourism is also a potential field that both sides can continue to promote further development. In particular, in recent times, Prime Minister Hun Manet has also paid great attention to creating a mechanism to connect tourism between Cambodia and Vietnam, as well as tourism between Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos under the motto "one journey to two countries" or "one journey to three countries."
This will open up opportunities to attract international tourists to the two countries, contributing to the economic development of Vietnam and Cambodia.
In addition to bilateral cooperation mechanisms, the two countries also have multilateral cooperation mechanisms in which they participate. I think we need to pay attention to promoting the three-way or four-way cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia with a third country, to promote the economic development of the two countries.
Regarding the issues that need to be prioritized in the relationship between the two countries in the coming time, I think that firstly, we need to continue to maintain and promote good political relations, orienting the overall relationship between the two countries. In addition, we need to constantly raise awareness of the importance of the relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Second, both sides need to thoroughly grasp opportunities and overcome challenges to create real changes in cooperation in all fields. In particular, we should attach special importance to promoting economic cooperation, making economic cooperation have real changes, becoming a new driving force for the relationship between the two countries.
Third, the two sides need to continue to maintain and promote cooperation in the fields of security, defense and foreign affairs to ensure a peaceful and stable environment for the development of each country.
Regularly consult each other in multilateral mechanisms and regional and international forums to ensure the interests of each country, as well as contribute to peace, stability and development in the region, as well as in the international arena.
Fourth, we need to continue to maintain, promote and boost cooperation between ministries, branches, between the two countries' National Assemblies, localities, and socio-political organizations, so that cooperation becomes more and more substantive and creates cohesion between the people of the two countries.
Finally, we need to pay close attention to educating the people of both countries, especially the young generation, about the tradition of solidarity and friendship between the two countries, so that the young generations of today and tomorrow have the responsibility to preserve and nurture this relationship to develop forever for the benefit of the people of both countries.
- Thank you very much, Ambassador!./.
Source: https://baolangson.vn/tang-cuong-va-lam-sau-sac-hon-quan-he-huu-nghi-viet-nam-camuchia-5014604.html
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