Vietnam-Cambodia: Building a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development

At the 2nd Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program, the image of General Phan Van Giang, Member of the Political Bureau and Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, and General Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Cambodia, together painting border marker 171 at Moc Bai International Border Gate created a meaningful moment, becoming a strong symbol affirming the shared determination to maintain a peaceful , friendly, stable, and sustainably developing border.

Taking place over two days, November 13-14, in Tay Ninh and Svay Rieng provinces with many practical activities, the 2nd Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange is a key defense diplomacy event and activity in 2025.

The program is significant in many aspects, contributing to strengthening solidarity and friendship, promoting substantive and effective cooperation between border management and protection forces, local authorities, and people in the border areas of the two countries; contributing to building a peaceful, friendly, stable, cooperative, and developing Vietnam-Cambodia border; consolidating political trust, and directly contributing to promoting and strengthening the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia, and Cambodia and Vietnam.

People of Tay Ninh province bid farewell to General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, as he departs for the Kingdom of Cambodia to attend the Border Defense Friendship Exchange. (Photo: Minh Phu/VNA)

This event also serves to promote and showcase the image of Vietnam as a peace-loving, friendly, and hospitable country to its neighbors and the international community.

General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defence of Vietnam, emphasized that, building on the success of the first Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defence Friendship Exchange in Binh Phuoc (now Dong Nai province) and Kra-che province in May 2022, the second Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defence Friendship Exchange continues to affirm its effectiveness and uniqueness as a model of cooperation between the two countries. It is also an activity with profound political significance, demonstrating the political determination of the Party, State, Army, ministries, sectors, localities, and especially the people and border protection forces of Vietnam and Cambodia in strengthening solidarity and friendship, promoting substantive cooperation, and jointly building a peaceful, friendly, cooperative, and developing border for the prosperity of each country, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

One of the highlights of the program was the twinning ceremony between Long Cuong hamlet, Long Thuan commune, Tay Ninh province, Vietnam and Otamo hamlet, Monorum commune, Svay Teap district, Svay Rieng province, Cambodia.

Through this activity, the people on both sides of the border commit to strictly abide by the laws of each country and the signed agreements on the border, and actively cooperate with the government and functional forces to protect the border line and border markers.

The twinning program also facilitates the exchange of production experiences between the people of both sides, coordination in transforming crop and livestock varieties, application of advanced agricultural techniques, and the construction of some facilities to serve daily life and economic development in accordance with local conditions.

General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defence, and General Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Cambodia, pose for a commemorative photo at border marker 171 at the Ba Vet International Border Gate (Cambodia). (Photo: Minh Phu/VNA)

People on both sides also organize visits to relatives during holidays and festivals, engage in cultural exchanges, learn about traditions, and contribute to strengthening neighborly feelings and fostering lasting friendship.

Mr. Le Van Am, a resident of Long Cuong hamlet, shared that for many years, people on both sides of the border have regularly crossed over, traded, and supported each other. The twinning of Long Cuong hamlet and Otamo hamlet will contribute to strengthening the spirit of solidarity, and through annual exchange activities, will further solidify friendship and work together to protect a peaceful border.

Along with people-to-people twinning activities, diverse and rich exchange activities between the Vietnamese and Cambodian military forces have also been organized. In particular, young officers from the border guard forces of both countries have strengthened exchanges, learned from each other, and shared insights on the development of cooperative relations between the two armies, while affirming their pioneering role in building a peaceful, friendly, stable, and prosperous border.

The image of young officers reading a letter of commitment together and singing the song "Friendly Border" demonstrates the strong solidarity and close bond between the Vietnamese and Cambodian people.

Sergeant Nhim Chann Chetra, from the Royal Cambodian Army Gendarmerie Command, expressed his honor to participate in the young officers' exchange program and affirmed: "The military relationship between the two countries has been continuously nurtured over the years. Through this exchange, I believe that the younger generations in the army will further strengthen solidarity, respecting and protecting a peaceful and friendly border together."

Captain Vo Manh Hung, of the Vam Trang Trau Border Guard Station, Tay Ninh Border Guard Command, emphasized: The exchange activities in the program have contributed to strengthening solidarity and friendship between the Vietnamese border guard forces and the Cambodian border protection forces, ensuring that the people on both sides can live, develop their economies, and build their homelands with peace of mind.

Besides establishing fraternal ties and people-to-people exchanges, local authorities and combined forces disseminate and publicize the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws and regulations on territorial sovereignty, and legal documents concerning the Vietnam-Cambodia border.

This strengthens trust and solidarity between the two sides of the border, contributing to the firm protection of territorial sovereignty.

Vietnam and Cambodia share a land border approximately 1,258 km long. Over the years, the governments, armies, and people of both countries have consistently implemented agreements, decrees, and cooperation regulations, thereby ensuring security and order, territorial sovereignty, maintaining the border line and markers, and strengthening solidarity and friendship between the two nations.

General Phan Van Giang, member of the Politburo and Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, stated that in the past period, the Ministries of National Defense of the two countries have comprehensively and thoroughly implemented the policies and directions agreed upon by the high-level leaders of the two countries.

Military and defense cooperation between the two countries is becoming increasingly substantive and effective, contributing to consolidating a peaceful and stable environment for development in each country. Notable aspects include enhanced coordination in exchanging information and providing effective advice to high-level leaders of both countries on military and defense matters; and effective cooperation between the two countries' military forces through joint patrols and coordinated efforts to combat transnational crime.

In particular, the Minister of National Defence highly appreciated the model of twinning between border guard posts and stations of the two countries, the model of twinning between pairs/clusters of communities, and social welfare programs for the people in the border areas of the two countries such as: providing medical examinations and treatment for local people, donating breeding cattle, awarding scholarships to help children go to school, and fostering children of border guard posts... These activities have contributed to strengthening the bond between the military and people of the two countries in protecting the peaceful and friendly border and developing the economies of both countries.

General Tea Sheiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Cambodia, also highly appreciated the sustainable cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia over the years; and expressed his hope that in the future, based on this Border Defence Friendship Exchange, the cooperative relationship between the two Ministries of Defence will become even stronger, ever-lasting, and enduring.

The 2nd Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program has concluded, but the images at border marker 171, the parallel patrols, the twinning activities between communities, and the exchanges between young officers have spread strongly, demonstrating the determination to build a peaceful, friendly, cooperative, and sustainable border.

This is a vivid testament to the strong neighborly solidarity, contributing to ensuring a stable, peaceful, and prosperous environment for Vietnam, Cambodia, and the region.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-nam-campuchia-xay-dung-bien-gioi-hoa-binh-huu-nghi-hop-tac-va-phat-trien-post1077016.vnp