The delegation also includes Lieutenant General Nguyen Ba Luc, Deputy Chief of the VPA’s General Staff.
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General Nguyen Tan Cuong speaks at the event. |
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General Vong Pisen, Commander-in-Chief of the RCAF, delivers a speech at the event. |
After the welcome ceremony, the two sides held official talks. General Vong Pisen warmly welcomed General Nguyen Tan Cuong and the Vietnamese military delegation, emphasizing that the visit demonstrates the deep-rooted friendship and cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries and contributes to strengthening the traditional ties between Vietnam and Cambodia.
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General Nguyen Tan Cuong presents gift to General Vong Pisen. |
General Vong Pisen noted that Cambodia always bears in mind Vietnam’s significant support in liberating Cambodia from the Pol Pot genocidal regime and aiding the country’s revival and development.
He acknowledged the Vietnamese Party, State, people, and armed forces for their spiritual and material support to Cambodia and its military. He also praised the substantial results achieved in bilateral defense cooperation over the past years, including personnel training, the search and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and advisors who died in Cambodia, cooperation between military branches, joint rescue efforts, and close coordination between border management forces.
For his part, General Nguyen Tan Cuong emphasized that the visit aims to implement the outcomes of the high-level meeting between the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Standing Committee of the Cambodian People’s Party held in Vietnam in February 2025. He noted the practical and effective outcomes in bilateral defense cooperation, particularly in high-level delegation exchanges and the sustained success of annual trilateral meetings among the defense ministers of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, to name but a few.
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Delegates in a joint photo |
At the meeting, the two sides exchanged viewpoints on global and regional situations and issues of mutual concern. They highly valued ASEAN’s important role in shaping and maintaining the regional security architecture and in promoting substantive cooperation both among member states and between ASEAN and its partners. Regarding the East Sea (South China Sea) issue, General Cuong reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance of promoting peace, stability, maritime and aviation freedom and safety, and resolving disputes through peaceful means based on international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, and the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the East Sea, while advancing negotiations toward an effective and substantive Code of Conduct (COC).
In the time ahead, both sides agreed to continue implementing the shared vision of senior leaders and defense ministries. They committed to deepening cooperation in political and ideological education, especially in raising awareness of Vietnam–Cambodia solidarity, promoting youth and officer exchanges, strengthening cross-border crime prevention, improving training quality, and maintaining mutual support in regional and international issues.
General Cuong also expressed his hope that the Cambodian government and General Vong Pisen would continue facilitating the search and repatriation of Vietnamese martyrs’ remains and support the Vietnamese community in Cambodia so they may live and do business with stability, thereby contributing more actively to the development of both nations.
Reported by Van Hieu from Phnom Penh
Translated by Minh Anh