Hanoi (VNA) – Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hueheld talks with his Cambodian counterp🧜art Samdech Heng Samrin via videoteleconference on June 3.

Huesaid he wants to closely cooperate with President of the Cambodian NationalAssembly Samdech Heng Samrin, Prime Minister Hun Sen and other Cambodianleaders to further promote and intensify the good neighbourliness, traditionalfriendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-lasting sustainability betweenthe two countries and legislatures. TheCambodian leader congratulated Vietnam on the success of the 13th National Party Congress and the elections of deputies to the 15th NAand People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021 – 2026 tenure and spoke highlyof the achievements the Party, State, Government and people of Vietnam have reapedin the cause of national construction and socio-economic development. Healso thanked the Party, State and people of Vietnam for supporting theCambodian people in their past struggle for national liberation and theirpresent process of national construction and development. Huetold his Cambodian counterpart that Vietnam has been making all-out efforts toaccomplish the dual goal of containing the COVID-19 pandemic and sustainingpositive economic growth, adding that the country managed to post a growth rateof 2.91 percent last year. Thoughthe COVID-19 situation remained complex, the nation’s economy performed well inthe first five months of 2021, Hue said. Accordingto the NA Chairman, Vietnam’s industrial production expanded nearly 10 percentcompared to the same period last year. FDI inflows exceeded 14 billion USD.Total retail sales of goods and services rose by 8 percent. Export revenuesreached more than 130 billion USD, up nearly 31 percent year-on-year, whileimports surged 36.4 percent. CPI rose 1.29 percent, the lowest since 2016.Vietnam is striving to achieve GDP growth of around 6 percent this year. Huereiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of attaching importance to and giving ahigh priority to strengthening its traditional friendship with Cambodia as wellas its support for the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP)’s leadership in building apeaceful, independent and neutral Cambodia. Healso expressed his support for Cambodia’s policy on regional and internationalintegration and multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations,thus contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and theworld as a whole. Bothsides showed their delight at the growth of the bilateral ties as top leadersof the two countries have maintained regular meetings and exchanges amid thepandemic, while bilateral cooperation mechanisms continued to be effectivelyupheld. Two-way trade totalled 3.9 billion USD in the first four months of 2021,a year-on-year increase of 122 percent. Thetwo leaders appreciated the two countries’ ratification of documents markingthe completion of 84 percent of land border demarcation and marker plantingworkload, and expressed their hope that the remaining work will be completed tobuild a borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, for peaceand prosperity of the two nations’ people. Huethanked the Cambodian National Assembly, Government and relevant agencies forsupporting the Vietnamese community living, studying and working in Cambodiaduring the fight against the pandemic. Agreeingwith his Vietnamese counterpart, Heng Samrin welcomed the two governments’joint determination to consolidate cooperation and support each other inensuring security and preventing cross-border crimes such as human trafficking,smuggling of drugs, forestry products, wild animals and explosives,  as well as in stepping up socio-economicdevelopment in border areas, and in combating COVID-19. Hespoke highly of Vietnam’s efforts to well control the spread of the COVID-19pandemic, while thanking Vietnam’s assistance to Cambodia’s fight through theprovision of medical supplies and equipment. Thetwo leaders also discussed measures to boost parliamentary diplomacy. Hueaffirmed that Vietnam will back and share experience with Cambodia tosuccessfully organise international conferences in 2021 and support Cambodia’s electionsof deputies to the 5th-tenure commune-ward councils in 2022 and tothe 7th-tenure National Assembly in 2023. Hesuggested both sides actively exchange information, coordinate closely andsupport each other in regional and global issues, including activities atmultilateral forums and ASEAN cooperation framework and ASEAN-led mechanisms,and within the frameworks of the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation,the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Mekong sub-regional cooperation mechanisms, andthe Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam tripartite cooperation. TheVietnamese leader vowed to coordinate with his Cambodian counterpart inimplementing the cooperation agreement between the two legislatures, signed inMay 2019. AppreciatingCambodia’s establishment of a young parliamentarians’ group, Hue suggested thetwo NAs strengthen coordination and cooperation between their committees, theVietnam-Cambodia, Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Groups, andfemale parliamentarians’ and young parliamentarians’ groups in legislatiion andin supervising and making decisions on the nations’ important issues. Thetwo leaders highlighted the need to encourage and supervise ministries,sectors, localities and businesses to carry out signed agreements so as todeepen the Vietnam-Cambodia comprehensive cooperation. Theyagreed to work together to hold activities and events to celebrate the 55th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2022 (June 24, 1967 –2022). Thetwo leaders took this occasion to invite the other to pay an official visit totheir respective country. Huesaid that he will arrange to attend the 11th Asia-EuropeParliamentary Partnership (ASEP) Meeting in Cambodia slated for October. Heexpressed his hope that the meeting will be held in the in-person format whenthe pandemic is put under control./.