Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and Cambodia on December 21 issued a JointStatement on the occasion of Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen’sofficial visit to Vietnam.

The following is the full text of the Statement.

1.At the invitation of H.E.Mr. NguyenXuan Phuc, Prime Ministerof the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HunSen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom ofCambodia, led a high Cambodian delegation to pay an official visit tothe Socialist Republic of Vietnam from  December 20-21, 2016. 

Duringhis visit to Vietnam, Samdech Techo PrimeMinister Hun Sen held a talk with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc,paid courtesy calls on General Secretary of the Party Central Committee NguyenPhu Trong and State President Tran Dai Quang, met with National AssemblyChairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, laid wreaths at the Memorial of NationalHeroes and Martyrs and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, andvisited Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province.

Alsoon this occasion, the two prime ministers witnessed the signing ceremony of threecooperative agreements, namely (1)Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the SocialistRepublic of Vietnam and theKingdom of Cambodia, (2) Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between theSocialist Republic of Vietnam andthe Kingdom of Cambodia, and (3) Agreement on Bilateral Cooperation between theCommittee for Ethnic Minorities of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of Cult and Religion of theKingdom of Cambodia.

꧒ 2.In the atmosphere of friendship, mutual understanding and trust, leaders of thetwo countries had in-depth discussion on the friendship and comprehensivecooperation between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Kingdom ofCambodia and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutualinterests of the two countries.

SamdechTecho Prime Minister Hun Senpraised Vietnam’s remarkable progresses in renovation, national building anddevelopment and wished Vietnamese people success in industrialization andmodernization  under the leadership ofthe Communist Party and State of Vietnam.

PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and other leaders of Vietnam highlypraised the important achievements that the Cambodian people had attained, underthe wise reign of His Majesty Preah BatSamdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni and under the leadership ofthe Senate, National Assembly and Royal Government of Cambodia led by Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen, in thenational construction and development which has brought  about political and social stability, growingeconomic development as well as increasingly enhanced the position and role of theKingdom of Cambodia in the region and theworld. On this occasion, Vietnamese leaders sincerely wished Cambodia greatsuccess in organizing communal elections in 2017 and parliamentary elections in2018 and in continuing to build a peaceful and prosperous Kingdom of Cambodia.

3.The two sides noted with satisfaction the advancement of friendship andcomprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia over the past period,offering practical benefits for both peoples.

Vietnamemphasized that it always attaches great importance to the strong affection,valuable support and assistance that His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Norodom Sihanouk “Preah Borom Ratanak Kaudh” the lateKing Father of Cambodia, HisMajesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah BoromneathNorodom Sihamoni, the leaders and people of Cambodia extended to the people of Vietnamin the struggle for national independence in the past as well as in the present national building anddevelopment.

Cambodia expressed its profound gratitude for thestrong support and assistance thatthe generations of Vietnamese leaders and people have accorded to Cambodia in the past and at present, affirmingthat the Cambodian people will always keep in mind the assistance of Vietnamesevoluntary soldiers in cooperation with Cambodian people to liberate Cambodia from Khmer Rouge genocidal regime in 1979.

4.The two sides agreed that strengthening and advancing the friendship andcooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia is of crucial importance for both nations. They committed to continually consolidateand promote the bilateral relations under the motto “good neighborliness,traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-lasting stability”.They also pledged to fully observe the principles stated in the Vietnam –Cambodia Joint Statements in 1999, 2005, 2009,2011, 2014 and 2016; to respect independence, sovereignty, territorialintegrity, non-interference in eachother’s internal affairs; to ensure one’s territory is not usedby hostile forces to menace the other’s security; and to settle problems arising between the two countries by peaceful means.

5.The two sides agreed to increase high-level meetings, contacts and the exchangeof delegations at all levels and encourage people-to-people contacts, especially between provincesin border areas. The two sides accentuated the importance of educating theirpeople about the nations’ traditional friendship and mutual assistance.

6.The two sides also agreed to work together in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam – Cambodia diplomatic relations (24June 1967 – 24 June 2017), thus enhancing mutual understanding between the twopeoples, especially between the young generations and tasked the two foreign ministries to prepare the commemoration.

7.The two sides highly valued cooperative agreements in various fields signed andagreed to instruct relevant ministries and institutions to coordinatewith each other inadjusting related mechanisms to seek effective measures to raise the bilateraltrade turnover to the set goal of US$ 5 billion in the coming years.

8.The two sides reaffirmed their respect for and full implementation of the border delimitation treaties and relevant border agreements concludedby the two States. They highly commended the efforts of the Joint Commission onLand Border Demarcation for havingaccomplished over 83% of the land border demarcation and marker plantation workload over the past time on the basis ofthe border delimitation treaties between the two countries. Building upon those achievements, the two sides weredetermined to find once-and-for-allsolutions to the remaining border segments for anearlier completion of land border demarcation and marker plantation and tofinalize the relevant demarcation dossiers as soon as possible with aview to building a borderline of peace, stability, friendship, cooperation andsustainable development.

9.Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and other Vietnameseleaders thanked Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen and other Cambodian leadersand authorities at various levels for providingassistance to the Vietnamese residents in Cambodia over the past time. In the spirit of friendly neighborlinessbetween the two countries, they hope Cambodia would continue to take appropriate measures in ensuring the legitimate rights of Vietnameseresidents, equally treated asother foreign residents in Cambodia in conformity with laws and regulations of Cambodia, thereforecontributing to the consolidation and enhancement of the traditional friendshipbetween the two peoples.  

10.The two sides applauded their fine cooperation in multilateral fora  inthe past, especially the mutual support for each other’s candidacyfor important international organizations of the United Nations. Given thegrowing complexities in the regional and global context, the two sides agreedto increase coordination, information sharing and mutual support inmultilateral fora, especiallyASEAN.

11.The two sides underlined the importance of maintaining peace, stability andsecurity in the South China Sea, settling disputes by peaceful means,exercising self-restraint, refraining from the threat or use of force in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The two sidesare committed to join efforts for the full and effective implementation of the Declarationon the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and early conclusion ofthe Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

12.The two sides also pledged to continue working closely together and with othermembers in the frameworks of the Mekong River Commission, the Lancang-Mekongcooperation and other Mekong cooperationframeworks in order to ensure sustainable use and management of water resourcesin the Mekong River Basin in consistence withinternational practices as well as harmonize the interests of riverinecountries with the goal of sustainable development in the region.

13.The two sides highly valued the positive outcomes and significantly profoundmeaning of the official visit to Vietnam by Samdech Techo Prime Minister HunSen, considering as an important event, which was positively conducive to theadvancement of the solidarity, traditional friendship, comprehensivecooperation and sustainable growth between Vietnam and Cambodia.

14.Samdech Techo Prime Minister HunSen expressed his sincere gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitalitythat the leaders and people of Vietnam had extended to high delegation of Cambodia during the entirevisit.

🎶 15.On this occasion, Samdech AkkaMoha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom ofCambodia, kindly invited His Excellency Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnamto attend the 26th World Economic Forum onASEAN, hosted by Cambodia in 2017 and to pay an official visitto the Kingdom of Cambodia in2017. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc gratefully accepted the invitation.-VNA