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General Phan Van Giang and General Tea Seiha view photographs documenting Viet Nam-Cambodia relations. |
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General Tea Seiha writing in the guest book at Viet Nam's Ministry of National Defense headquarters |
The assessment was made by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Viet Nam General Phan Van Giang during his talks with his Cambodian counterpart General Tea Seiha on October 13 at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense. The Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense is paying an official visit to Viet Nam and will attend the annual meeting of the three defense ministers and the joint civil defense exercise involving the armed forces of Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia in 2026.
During the talks, General Phan Van Giang emphasized that since the beginning of 2026, senior leaders of the two countries have exchanged visits and held meetings to provide strategic direction for bilateral cooperation. These engagements reaffirmed the priority both countries attach to Viet Nam-Cambodia relations; promoted defense and security cooperation; advanced trade, investment, and infrastructure connectivity; strengthened education and training cooperation and people-to-people exchanges…
General Phan Van Giang noted that the two sides have effectively implemented the contents of their cooperation plan in2026, particularly in delegation exchanges; dialogue, consultation, and exchange mechanisms; personnel training and professional development; border management and protection; education and public information; the search for and repatriation of fallen soldiers' remains; defense industry; logistics; and mutual coordination and support at multilateral forums.
For his part, General Tea Seiha highlighted the long-standing traditional friendship between Cambodia and Viet Nam and welcomed the latest progress in bilateral relations. He affirmed that the visit provided an opportunity to deepen bilateral defense cooperation in particular and further strengthen the two countries' good-neighborly relations, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability in general.
General Tea Seiha spoke highly of the substantive and effective cooperation between the two defense ministries in recent years. He proposed that the two sides continue implementing their agreed commitments to further consolidate defense cooperation as one of the key pillars of bilateral relations.
General Phan Van Giang called on agencies and units of the two defense ministries to pro-actively and actively implement their agreed cooperation initiatives, focusing on political and ideological education to strengthen political trust; the search for, collection, and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and advisors who died in Cambodia during past wars; meetings and exchanges; dialogue and consultation; cooperation between arms and services; and coordination in border management and protection to build a border of peace, cooperation, and development.
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General Phan Van Giang and General Tea Seiha sign the Viet Nam-Cambodia Defense Cooperation Plan for 2027 |
Other priorities include effectively implementing the memorandum of understanding between the two governments on protecting and promoting Viet Nam-Cambodia friendship monuments in Cambodia; human resource training; defense industry; logistics and military supplies; defense economy; mutual consultation and support at multilateral forums; and cooperation among the militaries of Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia.
The two countries will mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2027. General Phan Van Giang suggested assigning the relevant agencies from both sides to coordinate in developing plans for commemorative activities organized by the two defense ministries and militaries, helping spreading the solidarity and friendship between the two countries.
At the talks, General Phan Van Giang and General Tea Seiha signed the Viet Nam-Cambodia Defense Cooperation Plan for 2027.
Before the talks, a welcome ceremony for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Cambodia General Tea Seiha was held at the Ministry of National Defense headquarters under the chair of General Phan Van Giang.
Translated by Tran Hoai