PM chairs official welcome ceremony for Cambodian counterpart

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet (right) reviewed the guards of honour during the welcome ceremony for the latter in Hà Nội on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet and a high-ranking delegation of Cambodia arrived in Hà Nội Monday morning, starting a two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of PM Phạm Minh Chính.

Welcoming the delegation at Nội Bài International Airport in Hà Nội were Minister – Chairman of the Government Office Trần Văn Sơn, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đỗ Hùng Việt, and Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyễn Huy Tăng.

The Cambodian delegation includes Deputy PM and First Vice President of the Council for the Development of Cambodia Sun Chanthol, Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea, and many other ministers.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has hosted a welcome ceremony in Hà Nội for his Cambodian counterpart.

After the ceremony, the two leaders visited a photo exhibition featuring the land and people of VIệt Nam and Cambodia, and their good relations, jointly held by the Government Office and the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), before holding talks.

The Cambodian PM is also scheduled to hold meetings with other Vietnamese senior leaders to review cooperation results and discuss measures to promote bilateral ties in the coming time.

He will join Chinh in an exchange with Vietnamese students and a Vietnam-Cambodia business forum.

The official visit demonstrates the resolve of leaders of both sides to consolidate and enhance the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two peoples, while bringing new cooperation opportunities so as to elevate the bilateral ties to a new height.

Vietnamese and Cambodian prime ministers wave to children welcoming them at the Presidential Palace in Hà Nội on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

Since high-ranking leaders of the two countries set the motto of “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive, sustainable and long-term cooperation” for the bilateral relations in 2005, the bilateral ties have been unceasingly developed across the fields, bringing benefits to the two peoples, and making contributions to regional and global peace, stability and collaboration.

Exchanges of delegations at all levels have been maintained even during the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping enhance the people’s understanding of the traditional solidarity, friendship, cooperation and support between the two nations.

Cooperation in defence and security has been enhanced, while that in economy and trade has developed rapidly and carved out encouraging achievements. Last year, two-way trade reached US$10.57 billion, a year-on-year increase of nearly 10.9 per cent. Meanwhile, during January – October, the trade revenue was estimated at $7.1 billion, dropping 22.1 per cent from the same time last year.

Việt Nam is currently the biggest trade partner of Cambodia in the ASEAN region and the third largest trade partner overall, following China and the US. To date, Việt Nam has registered $2.94 billion in 205 valid projects in Cambodia, among the top five foreign investors in the country. Cambodia ranks second among 79 countries and territories receiving Vietnamese outbound investment. — VNS