At the invitation of President of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) Hun Sen, General Secretary To Lam will co-chair the high-level meeting between the Politburo of the CPV Central Committee and the Standing Committee of the CPP Central Committee, and co-chair the meeting of the top Party leaders of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in Cambodia on February 6.
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General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam |
History has proven that the traditional solidarity, close-knit bonds, shared hardships, and mutual assistance between the two Parties, two States, and the peoples of Vietnam and Cambodia are a precious asset and a great source of strength, playing an important role in the struggle for national liberation and in the national defense, construction, and development of each country.
In recent years, the friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia have developed stably, with notable highlights, diversity, and effectiveness across many fields, bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries. Political relations continue to play a leading role, with Party-to-Party cooperation providing overall orientation for bilateral relations, especially since General Secretary To Lam and CPP President Hun Sen co-chaired the meeting between the two Parties in Ho Chi Minh City in February 2025. The two sides have maintained high- and all-level exchanges in both bilateral frameworks and multilateral forums. Key cooperation mechanisms have been held regularly and have proven effective.
Notably, defense and security cooperation remains a pillar in bilateral relations, becoming increasingly close and substantive, particularly in coordination to ensure shared security along the shared border and in cooperation to combat transnational crime between the functional forces of the two sides. Efforts to further promote bilateral cooperation have been encouraged by the development of economic, trade, and investment cooperation. Two-way trade turnover in 2025 reached USD 11.33 billion, up nearly 12% compared to 2024. The two sides are actively coordinating to soon achieve the target of USD 20 billion in bilateral trade. Vietnam is currently Cambodia’s third-largest trading partner, after China and the U.S., and Cambodia’s largest trading partner within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
In addition, cooperation in education and training, transport, culture, healthcare, and telecommunications have also received increased attention. Exchanges and cooperation between the two sides’ mass organizations have been maintained, with innovations in form and approach. The two countries also work closely together in international, regional, and subregional forums, particularly the United Nations, ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms, and Mekong subregional cooperation frameworks, contributing to enhancing each country’s prestige and standing in the region and the world.
Laos and Cambodia are the first two countries visited by General Secretary To Lam in 2026, immediately after the 14th National Party Congress, once again demonstrating the high priority and importance that the Party and State of Vietnam attach to its fraternal neighboring countries. The visit to Cambodia provides an opportunity for the top leaders of the two Parties and two States to further strengthen mutual trust and exchange measures to advance the good neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability between the two countries toward new achievements.
A key highlight of the trip is that General Secretary To Lam will co-chair the high-level meeting between the Politburo of the CPV Central Committee and the Standing Committee of the CPP Central Committee, and co-chair the meeting of the top Party leaders of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. This demonstrates that the Vietnamese Party consistently views Laos and Cambodia as holding particularly important strategic positions for Vietnam’s stability and development, while also reflecting the shared vision of the top leaders of the three Parties and three countries in preserving, promoting, and continuously strengthening the solidarity, friendship, and close-knit bonds among the three fraternal Indochinese nations in the new period.
It is confident that General Secretary To Lam’s visit to Cambodia this time will help consolidate a solid political foundation for bilateral relations; continue the historic chapter of solidarity, friendship, and close ties between the two Parties and two countries of Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as among the three Parties and three countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia; and open a new phase of cooperation toward the shared goal of prosperous and sustainable development.
By Editorial Board of the Vietnam People’s Army
Translated by Mai Huong