The geographical proximity along with similarities in culture and history are a solid foundation for Vietnam and Cambodia to cultivate and enhance one of the long-lasting traditional relationships in Southeast Asia. This tie has been enriched by generations of leaders and people of the two countries, with the efforts and blood of many generations of Vietnamese and Cambodian people. It is a precious, sacred and durable treasure of the two nations.
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General Phan Van Giang, Minister of Vietnam’s National Defense receives General Tea Banh, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, in the framework of the first Vietnam - Cambodia border defense friendship exchange in Loc Ninh district (Binh Phuoc). |
Since 2005, following the motto “sound neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability,” the relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia has been continuously consolidated and developed extensively in all fields, generating practical benefits for the two countries’ people and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
Despite the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on all fields, the bilateral defense cooperation has obtained positive results. In detail, the two sides have maintained high-level meetings and exchanges via flexible forms and effectively implemented all cooperation contents, especially in education and information dissemination on traditional friendship between the two countries and two militaries.
Meanwhile, both sides have promoted the search, collection and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and advisors who laid down their lives in Cambodia during wartime, as well as closely worked together to ensure security and public order on the shared borderline, creating favorable conditions for socio-economic development in border areas and contributing to building a borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, among others.
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General Phan Van Giang (left) meets General Tea Banh on November 21, 2022. |
Particularly in 2022 - the Friendship Year of Vietnam - Cambodia and Cambodia - Vietnam, the two countries’ defense ministries successfully organized important events to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Vietnam - Cambodia diplomatic relations (June 24, 1967 - 2022), including the first Vietnam - Cambodia border defense friendship exchange (May 2022), the ceremony to mark the 45th anniversary of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s path to overthrow the Pol Pot genocidal regime (June 2022), the annual meeting among the defense ministers of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and the first joint search and rescue exercise among the militaries of the three countries (September 2022).
In addition, the Vietnamese defense ministry actively supported the Cambodian side in holding defense and military conferences during Cambodia's ASEAN Chairmanship 2022.
Looking back upon the past journey, we firmly believe that the precious traditional friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia will be further boosted in the time to come, in which defense cooperation will continue to make practical contribution to construction and development of the two countries.
Translated by Quynh Oanh