Building a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development

At the 2nd Vietnam - Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange, the image of General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam and General Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense of Cambodia together painting the 171st milestone at Moc Bai International Border Gate created a meaningful moment, becoming a symbol strongly affirming the common determination in preserving a peaceful, friendly, stable and sustainably developed border.

Báo Tin Tức•14/11/2025

Photo caption — General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam and General Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of the Kingdom of Cambodia at the groundbreaking ceremony of Sang Sovan Primary School in Svay Teap district, Svay Rieng province (Cambodia). Photo: Minh Phu/VNA

Taking place on 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 foreign affairs event and activity in 2025.

The program is meaningful 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, directly contributing to promoting and strengthening the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam - Cambodia, Cambodia - Vietnam. This is also an event to promote and introduce the image of Vietnam as a peace-loving, friendly and friendly country to neighboring countries as well as the international community.

General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, 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, and at the same time is an activity of profound political significance, demonstrating the political determination of the Party, State, Army, ministries, branches, localities and especially the people and border protection forces of Vietnam and Cambodia in strengthening solidarity and friendship, promoting substantive cooperation, together building a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, for the prosperity of each country, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

One of the important highlights of the program is the twinning ceremony of the residential cluster 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, people on both sides of the border pledged to strictly comply with each country's laws and signed border documents, actively cooperate with the authorities and functional forces to protect the border and landmarks.

The twinning activities also create conditions for people on both sides to exchange production experiences, coordinate in converting crop and livestock varieties, apply advanced agricultural techniques, and at the same time build a number of works serving daily life and economic development in accordance with actual conditions. People on both sides also organize visits to relatives on holidays and New Year, cultural exchanges, and learning about traditions, contributing to strengthening neighborly feelings and fostering long-term friendship.

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

Along with the people-to-people friendship activities, the exchange activities of the Vietnam - Cambodia military forces are also organized in a diverse and rich manner. In particular, young officers of the border protection forces of the two countries increase exchanges, learn and share about the development in the cooperative relationship between the two armies, and at the same time affirm their pioneering role in building a peaceful, friendly, stable and mutually developing border.

The image of young officers reading the letter of determination together, singing the song "Border of Friendship" together, shows the solidarity and strong bond between the two peoples of Vietnam and Cambodia. Sergeant Nhim Chann Chetra, Gendarmerie Command of the Royal Cambodian Army, expressed his honor to attend the young officer exchange program and affirmed: "The military relationship between the two countries has been continuously nurtured over the years. Through the exchange, I believe that the young generations in the army will increasingly strengthen solidarity, together respect and protect the peaceful and friendly border."

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

In addition to twinning activities and people-to-people exchanges, local authorities and forces have coordinated to propagate and disseminate the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws and policies on territorial sovereignty, and legal documents on the Vietnam-Cambodia border. Thereby, strengthening trust and solidarity on both sides of the border, contributing to firmly protecting territorial sovereignty.

Vietnam and Cambodia have a land border of about 1,258 km. Over the years, the Government, Army and people of the two countries have always implemented agreements, decrees and cooperation regulations, thereby ensuring security, order and territorial sovereignty, maintaining border lines and landmarks and strengthening solidarity and friendship between the two countries.

General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member and Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, said that over the past time, the two countries' Defense Ministries 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 practical and effective, contributing to consolidating a peaceful and stable environment for development in each country. Notably, the two countries have coordinated to strengthen the exchange of information and effectively consulted with senior leaders on military and defense work; cooperation between the two countries' military forces has been effectively implemented through joint patrols and coordinated efforts to combat transnational crimes, etc.

In particular, the Minister of National Defense highly appreciated the model of twinning between the border management and protection forces of the two countries, the model of twinning between pairs/residential clusters, and social security programs for people in the border areas of the two countries such as: Medical examination and treatment for local people, giving breeding cows, giving scholarships to children going to school, and adopted children of border stations... The above activities have contributed to connecting the military and people of the two countries in protecting the peaceful and friendly border and developing the economies of the two countries.

General Tea Sheiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Cambodia, also highly appreciated the sustainable cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia over the past time; at the same time, he expressed his hope that in the coming time, on the basis of this Border Defense Friendship Exchange, the cooperative relationship between the two Defense Ministries will become increasingly stronger, forever green, and forever sustainable.

The 2nd Vietnam-Cambodia Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program has ended, but the images at milestone 171, the parallel patrols, the activities of twinning residential areas, the exchange of young officers... have spread strongly, demonstrating the determination to build a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and long-term development. This is a vivid demonstration of strong neighborly solidarity, contributing to ensuring a stable, peaceful and prosperous environment for Vietnam, Cambodia and the region.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/xay-dung-bien-gioi-hoa-binh-huu-nghi-hop-tac-va-phat-trien-20251114194008882.htm