PHNOM PENH: A joint statement from the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on the occasion of the official state visit of the Vietnamese President, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, has been released, outlining the main outcomes of the President’s visit to Cambodia. The Vietnamese President’s visit also marked the opening of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2022.

The Vietnamese President came to Cambodia for a two-day state visit at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni, on Tuesday. On his first day, the President paid courtesy visits to King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, Senate President Say Chhum, National Assembly President Heng Samrin, and Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The Vietnamese President also visited the Buddhist Great Supreme Patriarch, General Tep Vong, and Buddhist Supreme Patriarch, Bour Kry, and laid wreaths at the Independence Monument, the Monument of the late King Father of Cambodia, and the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument.

Following his visit with National Assembly President, Heng Samrin, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the new administrative building of the National Assembly, which is being constructed from a $25 Million donation from the Government of Vietnam.

A particular highlight of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit was the signing ceremony held with Prime Minister Hun Sen of seven bilateral agreements regarding topics such as security, defense, culture, technology, education, and border trade.

The joint statement affirmed that his visit was held in an atmosphere of solidarity, friendship, mutual understanding and trust, and the leaders of both countries briefed each other on the current developments in their respective countries and had in-depth exchange of views on all dimensions of the bilateral cooperation.

Both sides expressed satisfaction over the comprehensive, close-knit cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia over the past 55 years, and especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, where both countries provided mutual assistance in difficult times.

Cambodia also expressed a sincere gratitude for the strong support and assistance that various generations of leaders and people of Vietnam have accorded to the people of Cambodia in the past and present, and stated that the country will always remember the assistance of Vietnamese soldiers in liberating Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge Regime in 1979.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc also expressed appreciation to the Kingdom of Cambodia for the continuous support and non-discriminatory treatment extended to the people of Vietnamese origin living in Cambodia.

Overall, the two sides expressed high appreciation for the outcomes and the profound significance of the Vietnamese President’s state visit to Cambodia, which will be kick-starting a series of activities in celebration of the 55th Anniversary of the Establishment of Cambodia-Vietnam Diplomatic Relations.