With the motto of good neighbourliness, long-standing friendship, and comprehensive and sustainable cooperation, Vietnam-Cambodia relations have been consistently reinforced and developed in all areas, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries and contributing positively to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region.
![An art performance at the “Vietnamese Culture Day in Cambodia”. (Photo: VNA)](https://image-en.nhandan.vn/w800/Uploaded/2024/aslxvtxwtys/2024_07_12/vncambodia-8919.jpg) |
An art performance at the “Vietnamese Culture Day in Cambodia”. (Photo: VNA) |
Political ties between the two countries have continued to develop positively. High-level leaders and officials from both sides have maintained visits, exchanges, and dialogues. Important cooperation mechanisms have continued to be effectively implemented, deepening cooperation in various fields. Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang, expressed his belief that cooperation in defence-security and foreign affairs contributes to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for the development of both countries.
Vietnam shares a 1,258 km land border with Cambodia, bordering ten provinces of the country of temples and pagodas. Based on agreements and treaties between the high-level leaders of both sides, functional agencies, governments, and local people along the shared border have actively cooperated to demarcate boundary markers on land. In 2019, the two sides signed legal documents recognising the demarcation of approximately 84% of the land border. Efforts are underway to complete the remaining 16% of the land border demarcation to continue building a peaceful, friendly, cooperative, and sustainable border.
Economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries have rapidly developed and achieved encouraging results. Vietnam is currently Cambodia's third-largest trading partner and the largest within ASEAN. With signs of recovery, bilateral trade in the first four months of 2024 reached approximately 3.9 billion USD, an increase of 16.8% compared to the same period in 2023. Vietnam has 205 active investment projects in Cambodia with a total registered capital of 2.94 billion USD, leading ASEAN and ranking among the top five largest foreign investors. Meanwhile, Cambodia ranks second among countries and territories where Vietnam invests. Vietnamese enterprises’ investment and business activities in Cambodia have positively contributed to social security and the prosperous development of the host country.
Cooperation in other areas including education-training, transportation, culture, healthcare and telecommunications has been strengthened. Annually, Vietnam has offered hundreds of long-term scholarships to Cambodian students to study in Vietnam. In addition, the number of Vietnamese students studying in Cambodia has also been increasing. Vietnam organises regular volunteer medical missions, providing free healthcare services and medication to Cambodian citizens. Cambodian patients visiting Vietnam receive healthcare fees on par with Vietnamese nationals.
People-to-people diplomacy activities held by friendship organisations, parliamentary groups, and other associations from Vietnam and Cambodia, have been vibrant and widespread. Both countries have frequently organised cultural and artistic exchanges, especially in border areas, enhancing mutual understanding of their long-standing solidarity, friendship, and cooperation.
The two countries have also promoted close coordination at international, regional, and sub-regional forums, including the United Nations, ASEAN, and frameworks led by associations such as the CLV, CLMV, and ACMECS. The efforts to boost multilateral cooperation contribute to enhancing each country's reputation and position, in the region and the world.
Based on the above significant achievements, both sides agree to further enhance cooperation across various fields including politics, defence-security, economics, trade-investment, science-technology, agriculture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. This underscores the mutual commitment and desire to strengthen the comprehensive friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.
(Source: NDO)