Vietnam and Laos possess the long-standing friendly and close relationship throughout the long history of the national construction and defense of the two countries. From two close neighbors, Vietnam and Laos have together gone through the fiercest time of war and difficult renewal and integration period to build a special solidarity whose foundation was directly laid by President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone Phomvihane, and President Souphanouvong and has been nurtured by generations of troops and people of the two countries.
The close relationship cannot be separated in any circumstances and has become a unique relationship in the world history. The achievements in each country’s revolution have closely associated with the valuable, timely, and sincere support from each other’s Party, State, and people. In recent years, despite countless difficulties and challenges, including the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cooperative relationship between the two parties and countries have continued to steadily, intensively, and effectively develop in all fields, turning the traditional friendship into a great one.
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Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (C), Lao Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, and President of the Cambodian People's Party Samdech Hun Sen (Cambodian Prime Minister then) in a meeting in 2021 (Photo: VNA) |
Meanwhile, geographical proximity and cultural and historical similarities are a solid foundation for Vietnam and Cambodia to cultivate and develop one of the long-standing traditional relationships in Southeast Asia. The peoples of the two countries stood side by side to win a historic victory in the Spring 1975 as well as save the Cambodian people from genocidal regime and revive the country.
This serves as a foundation for leaders and people of the two countries to constantly strive to cultivate the Vietnam - Cambodia relations under the motto, “good neighborliness, traditional friendship, and comprehensive, sustainable and long-term cooperation." Looking back on the past journey, it can be affirmed that the close relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia has been making practical contribution to the construction and prosperous development of the two countries despite many difficulties and challenges and ups and downs in history.
Regarding the Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia relations, the three countries, sharing the Mekong River and having a close traditional friendship since an early age, have seen further developments since the birth of the Communist Party of Indochina, later the Vietnam Communist Party, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, and the Cambodian People's Party. Under the leadership of the Vietnam Communist Party, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, and the Cambodian People's Party, people of the three countries have achieved glorious feats of arm in the struggle for national independence and reunification in each country in the past and current national construction, defense, and development cause.
Since the high-level meeting among Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and President of the Cambodian People's Party Samdech Hun Sen (also Prime Minister of Cambodia at that time) in Hanoi in 2021, the relationship among the three parties and countries has continued to be strengthened in all fields, for the benefit of the three peoples and for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world. The three parties all attach great importance to the role of bilateral and multilateral relations. Notably, in 2022, the three countries successfully organized the "Vietnam - Laos, Laos - Vietnam Solidarity and Friendship Year" and "Vietnam - Cambodia, Cambodia - Vietnam Friendship Year" through different forms, helping people, especially young people, have deeper understanding about the relationship between Vietnam and Laos and between Vietnam and Cambodia. The three countries are continuing to implement tripartite cooperation mechanisms of the National Assembly, the Government, ministries, sectors, and organizations, contributing to continuously promoting the three-country cooperative relationship.
The rapid development of the regional and international situations is creating many opportunities, but also posing many challenges to all three countries. The historical lesson of Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia solidarity has been the backbone in the development of the relations among the three countries. Despite the changes, we are still determined to jointly preserve and promote the Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia relations to be like the mighty Mekong River and an invaluable, sacred, and sustainable asset of the three countries.
Translated by Tran Hoai