Hanoi (VNA) – Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech AkkaMoha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen is leading a high-ranking delegation of theCambodian Government on a two-day official visit to Vietnam from October 4 atthe invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

This is PM Hun Sen’s second visit to Vietnam within one year sinceCambodia established its sixth-tenure government in September 2018.

The Cambodian leader is accompanied by Deputy PM and Defence Minister Gen. TeaBanh; Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn; Senior Minister in charge ofborder affairs Var Kim Hong, and other high-ranking officials.

The visit takes place amidst the fruitful development of relations betweenVietnam and Cambodia. It affirms Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence,self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations, withhigh priority given to preserving, cultivating and developing the fineneighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-termsustainability with Cambodia.

The trip is also set to reinforce economic, trade and investment ties, as wellas collaboration in border affairs and transport between the two countries.

Vietnamand Cambodia share about 1,245km of land border. For the last nearly 50 years,they have organised many rounds of talks and signed a number of legal documentsto recognise the achievements in the settlement of border issues, therebyhelping to build a peaceful border of long-lasting stability, strengthensolidarity and friendship, and facilitate border residents’ lives.

Overthe past years, bilateral trade has been on the rise, surpassing 4.7 billionUSD in 2018 (up 24 percent year on year) and 3 billion USD in the first eightmonths of 2019.

Vietnamis among the five largest foreign investors in Cambodia with more than 200projects worth over 3 billion USD, mainly in rubber plantation, telecom,finance, banking and energy.

Thetwo sides inked a double taxation avoidance agreement, another on promotingbilateral economic and trade ties for 2019-2020, a strategy for transportcooperation with a vision to 2030, and a deal revising the road and waterwaytransport agreements.

Additionally,Vietnam has provided hundreds of scholarships in different fields for Cambodiaeach year. The two sides have also worked together to create conditions forCambodian people to receive health examination and treatment in Vietnam withmedical fees similar to locals’.

About800,000 Vietnamese people visited Cambodia in 2017, and this figure reached835,000 in 2018, making Vietnam the second biggest source of foreign touristsof the country./.