The State visit to Cambodia of the Vietnamese Party General Secretary is viewed as a reaffirmation of Vietnam’s consistent policy of attaching importance and giving high priority to consolidating and strengthening relations with Cambodia and the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in a stable and sustainable manner.

The visit also aims to boost mutual understanding and trust between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the Cambodian People’s Party, as well as bolster traditional friendship of the two countries’ leadership and the two peoples and defeat hostile forces’ plots to undermine the traditional good relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia.

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Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong welcomed at Pochentong International Airport. Photo: VNA

What is more, the visit is expected to speed up the implementation of agreements and deals signed by leaders of the two countries, and provide favorable conditions for agencies of the two sides to expand bilateral cooperation on the basis of equality and for mutual benefits.

Cambodia is seen as an agricultural country with some 20% of land for agriculture and 80% of the population living in the countryside. Cambodia has enjoyed an economic boom since the 1990s when its political situation became stable and it started a market economy. Since 2012, Cambodia’s GDP has annually grown at over 7% on average.

In 2016, Cambodia’s GDP growth reached 7% while it welcomed some five million international tourists, up by 5% compared with 2015. The country’s trade in 2014 was valued at USD 18 billion.

For decades, agriculture, textile-garment, tourism and construction have always been major supports for the country’s economy. Its major export markets are the US, the EU, China, Thailand and Vietnam.

Regarding its political situation, Cambodia recently held the fourth-term commune and ward council elections with a major victory of the CPP. Over the past years, Cambodia has well maintained political security, social order and safety, secured economic growth, consolidated its defense and security, and promote foreign relations, which has lifted its position in the international arena.

Vietnam and Cambodia established diplomatic relations on June 24, 1967. In recent years, the two countries have boosted traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation.

In trade and economic terms, Vietnam now runs 190 projects, mostly in agriculture and forestry, in Cambodia with total registered capital of USD 2.89 billion while Cambodia has invested USD 58.125 million in 18 projects in Vietnam.

The two-way trade value between Vietnam and Cambodia stays at some USD 3 billion per year on average and reached USD 1.686 billion after the first five months of this year. The two sides are striving to bring the two-way trade turnover to USD 5 billion in the coming time.

For  many years now, Vietnam has always been Cambodia’s most important tourist market, which has represented the largest proportion of the foreign visitors to Cambodia. Meanwhile, the number of Cambodian tourists to Vietnam was 212,000 in 2016, ranking 13th among Vietnam’s foreign tourist markets.  

According to official reports, business and production activities of Vietnamese firms in Cambodia have contributed significantly to the country’s social welfare and economic development.

Regarding political ties, the two sides often exchange delegations at all levels, contributing to cementing mutual trust between the two countries’ leadership and peoples. The two sides have always pursued the principle of not allowing any hostile forces to use territory of one country to undermine security and stability of the other.

Over the past years, the two sides have expanded defense and security cooperation. The two sides have coordinated closely in exchanging information, dealing with emerging happenings and issues along the shared border as well as collecting and repatriating remains of fallen Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and specialists in Cambodia. The two navies have well conducted joint patrols at sea.

The two sides are striving to complete border demarcation and border landmark plantation as soon as possible, so as to build the Vietnam-Cambodia border into a border of peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development.

Meanwhile, the two sides continued stepping up bilateral cooperation on culture, education and training, and science and technology. At the same time, cooperation between agencies of the legislative, judiciary and executive bodies as well as localities, particularly border ones, of the two countries attained practical outcomes.

The State visit to Cambodia of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, which takes place on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic relations, bears historical meaning, marking great achievements in the 50-year bilateral relationship between the two countries. It will also help deepen and expand the bilateral relations and cooperation toward practical outcomes.

The Vietnamese people strongly believe that the Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to Cambodia will be successful, opening up a new phase of the Vietnam-Cambodia traditional friendly relationship and bringing it to a new high level.

Written by Editorial Board

Translated by Thu Nguyen