HANOI: The Vietnamese President, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, has congratulated Lt. Gen. Hun Manet on being elected by the Central Committee of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) as the future Prime Ministerial candidate, and announced his support to Cambodia as a good neighbor.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc made this statement during a meeting with Lt. Gen. Hun Manet in Hanoi on Tuesday, 9 August 2022.

Lt. Gen. Hun Manet informed the President Nguyen about the results of the cooperation between the two countries' armies. At the same time, he also asked the Vietnamese President to support the main direction of cooperation at the army level and agreed to continue maintaining solidarity, friendship, trust and cooperation to work more closely in building and protecting both countries, by ensuring a peaceful border and common development for all.

In response, the Vietnamese President praised the development of friendly relations and fruitful cooperation between the two countries' armies and agreed to continue maintaining and enhancing existing cooperation to become closer and stronger, as well as to jointly look at more new potential for the future.

He also praised the state of development in Cambodia, especially in the country’s economic growth, which has gone beyond expectations in the first six months of this year even despite being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Vietnam also continues to support Cambodia as a good neighbor.

President Nguyen also expressed his congratulations and support to Lt. Gen. Hun Manet, who was elected by the 43rd Central Committee of the CPP as a candidate for the future role of Prime Minister and wished for Cambodia's 2023 national elections to be success.

Cambodia and Vietnam have had established diplomatic relations for the past 55 years (1967-2022). After helping Cambodia become liberated from the Khmer Rouge regime, the two countries become friends, relatives and good neighbors.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam ranks first among ASEAN countries in making direct investments in Cambodia, with trade between the two countries exceeding US $9 billion in 2021.

^{PHOTO: RAKSMEY9}