Vietnam and Cambodia are discussing preparations for high-ranking exchange visits in 2022 – the year that marks the 55th year of diplomatic relations.

Vietnam's Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (L) and Cambodia’s Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn in Pnom Penh on Jan 20. Photos: Cambodian foreign ministry.

The two sides made the discussions during the visit paid to Phnom Penh by Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on January 19-20.

This year will be labeled the “Friendship Year” to commemorate the 55th anniversary of establishing the bilateral ties.

Talking about the visit, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang said it will help concretize agreements reached by the two countries’ leaders over the past time and exchange views on the regional and international issues of mutual concerns.

The ambassador said it needs to focus on some aspects to enhance the relations that the countries’ leaders have committed to “good neighborliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive, sustainable and long-term development.”

Preserving and maintaining political relations are the most important to guide the comprehensive relationship. Accordingly, the two sides need to be aware of the significance of the bilateral ties to the building and protection of each country.

Meanwhile, cooperation in security, defense, and diplomacy must receive significant attention as they are the key pillars in the relations, ensuring peace and security for the development of each nation. At the same time, tightened collaboration at the multilateral forums would largely contribute to Cambodia’s successful presidency of ASEAN 2022.

Economic ties will be another factor contributing to sustainable relations while cooperation in culture, education, health, and science-technology should be given special care.

The last but not least, cooperation among agencies and localities sharing the border together with people-to-people links should also be highlighted for the enhanced ties.

The foreign ministers join the meeting on Jan 20.

In the meeting with Cambodia’s Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn in Phnom Penh on January 20, Son thanked Cambodia and expected further efforts to give legal identity for ethnic Vietnamese in Cambodia.

During the talks, Son affirmed Vietnam’s support to Cambodia in taking the chair of ASEAN 2022, working together with Cambodia and other ASEAN member states to implement ASEAN’s agendas, including that in the Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar.

Regarding the South China Sea, the Vietnamese FM reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability and freedom of navigation and overflight as well as solving disputes in a peaceful manner in accordance with international law.

The two sides agreed to soon sign a memorandum of understanding between the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the National Institute of Diplomacy and International Relations (NIDIR). 

Commenting on the visit, Uch Leang, Deputy Director of Asian, African and Middle East Studies of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said that it demonstrates good neighborliness and friendship.

“This is a demonstration of good neighborliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Cambodia and Vietnam for the mutual benefit of both peoples,” Leang told The Hanoi Times.

“Even if some foreign ministers cannot come because of the Covid-19 pandemic, he was still able to come. This is what the Cambodian slogan says, good friends help each other in times of need,” he noted.