In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the visits, Cuong said the trip, scheduled for April 9–10, is made at the invitations of Vilay Lakhamphong, permanent member of the Secretariat of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee, and Samdech Say Chhum, Vice President of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and Chairman of the Standing Board of the CPP Central Committee.
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Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong |
The visits carry special political and cultural significance as these are the first by Tu to the neighboring countries. They also coincide with the traditional New Year festivals of Laos and Cambodia, Bunpimay and Chol Chhnam Thmey, which embody community solidarity and the long-standing bonds among the three Indochinese nations. They also take place shortly after Vietnam successfully organized the 14th National Party Congress and completed the consolidation of its leadership apparatus, setting new strategic orientations for national development.
Notably, the trip follows the highly successful state visits by Party General Secretary To Lam to Laos and Cambodia in February 2026, demonstrating the continuity and consistency in Vietnam’s foreign policy. It also reflects efforts to translate high-level commitments into concrete actions, thereby creating fresh momentum for trilateral cooperation.
Against the backdrop of complex and unpredictable global and regional developments, strengthening ties among Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia is of strategic importance, particularly as the three countries are pursuing development, modernization and deeper international integration.
According to Cuong, the visits aim to reaffirm Vietnam’s consistent policy of giving top priority to relations with its two neighbors, consolidate the foundation of political trust among the three Parties and States, and review the implementation of high-level agreements. They are also expected to enhance public awareness, especially among younger generations, of the traditional solidarity and friendship binding the three nations.
During the visits, Tu is scheduled to discuss with senior Lao and Cambodian leaders on major orientations for advancing comprehensive cooperation, with a focus on effectively implementing existing agreements. Priority areas include infrastructure connectivity, border trade, education and training, and digital transformation, with a view to delivering tangible benefits for people in all three countries.
The Deputy Foreign Minister noted that in recent years, Vietnam’s relations with Laos and Cambodia have continued to develop positively and comprehensively across all fields.
With Laos, political ties remain the cornerstone, underpinned by high mutual trust, regular high-level exchanges, and close coordination at international forums. Following the state visit of General Secretary To Lam, the two sides quickly implemented the content of "strategic cohesion" - a concept that reflects a deep and synchronized level of cooperation, from development vision to specific policies.
Economic cooperation has also gained strong momentum, with bilateral trade reaching nearly 3 billion USD in 2025, up almost 33% year-on-year. Vietnam is currently Laos’ third-largest trading partner and one of its leading investors, with 274 projects worth nearly 6 billion USD, particularly in transport connectivity, energy and logistics infrastructure.
Defense-security cooperation continues to be a key pillar, contributing to the maintenance of political stability and social order, especially in border areas. At the same time, sectors such as education, culture, healthcare, and agriculture have also achieved many positive results, contributing to the improvement of people's living standards.
Meanwhile, relations between Vietnam and Cambodia have also recorded robust progress. Political trust has been steadily reinforced, while economic cooperation has further expanded. Vietnam is Cambodia’s third-largest trading partner globally and its biggest within ASEAN. Bilateral trade exceeded 11.3 billion USD in 2025, marking an increase of nearly 12% compared to the previous year.
Vietnam has 229 investment projects in Cambodia with total registered capital of nearly 3 billion USD, focusing on key sectors such as agriculture, telecommunications, banking and energy.
Defense-security cooperation continues to be strengthened, playing an important role in ensuring stability in the shared border, while collaboration in socio-culture and science-technology, as well as people-to-people exchanges have been strongly promoted, especially the cooperation between bordering localities.
Cuong stressed that relations among Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are built on three main pillars: strong political trust, expanding economic cooperation, and increasingly close people-to-people ties. These form a solid foundation for the three countries to advance together in the context of deepening global integration.
He expressed confidence that the visits will generate new momentum for the three nations' ties in various areas. Specifically, they will promote the effective implementation of high-level commitments, enhance economic connectivity, particularly in transport infrastructure, energy and digital transformation. The visits are also expected to expand cooperation in education and human resource development, and further strengthen people-to-people exchanges, especially among the younger generation.
With the strong political will of the three Parties and States, and the long-standing solidarity among their people, the visits are expected to be a success, contributing to further consolidating and elevating the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation among Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia for peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development in the region.
Source: VNA