Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan heldtalks with her Cambodian counterpart Heng Samrin in Hanoi on June 23 followingan official welcome ceremony for the guest.

President Heng Samrin has been on a four-day official friendship visit toVietnam, where he is scheduled to take part in activities marking the 50thanniversary of the Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic ties and participate in ameeting of the presidents of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Lao Front forNational Construction and the Solidarity Front for Development of the CambodianMotherland.

Chairwoman Ngan spoke highly of the Cambodian delegation’s visit which takesplace at a time when the people of the two nations are eagerly celebrating the50th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic ties - themajor activity of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2017, vividly reflectingtheir friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability.

Having thanked the Party, State and people of Vietnam for their supportand assistance to Cambodia during its difficult periods as well as its currentprocess of national construction and development, President Heng Samrincongratulated and highly evaluated Vietnam’s important socio-economicachievements, and believed that Vietnam will obtain greater successes in thetime to come.

While informing his host of Cambodia’s situation, President Heng Samrinsaid Cambodia has achieved an annual average economic growth rate of 7 percentover the past decade. Its per capita GDP increased from just 288 USD in 2000 to1,300 USD in 2016, he said.

The country is striving to become a high middle-income nation by 2030 bypromoting open-door policies, attracting more foreign investment, enhancingconnectivity with economies and integrating deeper into the region and theworld, he added.

President Heng Samrin said he was delighted to see that thetwo parliaments relations have been strengthened through the exchange ofdelegations at all levels and the organisation of workshops to share lawmakingexperiences.

While updating her guest on Vietnam’ssocio-economic development and the 14th NA’s activities, Chairwoman Nganstressed Vietnam continues its consistent foreign policy of independence,self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of foreign relations,comprehensive international integration, proactive participation in and activecontribution to important international organisations and regional cooperationmechanisms such as the United Nations, ASEAN, APEC and ASEAN Regional Forum.

Vietnamhas contributed responsibly to maintaining peace, stability and cooperation inthe region and the world as well as safeguarding its national integrity and sovereigntyon the basis of respecting international law, she added.

The Vietnamese leader congratulated Cambodia onthe successful commune/ward elections, which, she said, will create animportant prerequisite for the country to successfully organise the generalelection in 2018 and to build a peaceful, stable and prosperous Cambodia.

Chairwoman Ngan affirmed that Vietnam alwaystreasures the fine sentiments and precious support and assistance that lateKing Norodom Sihanouk, King Norodom Sihamoni, other Cambodian leaders,including President Samdech Heng Samrin, and people of Cambodia have given tothe Vietnamese people during the fight for national independence in the pastand the process of national construction and development at present.

Vietnam always attaches importance to and givetop priority to enhancing relations with Cambodia, she said, stressing that theParty, State and people of Vietnam will exert every effort to reinforce the“good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation andlong-term sustainability” between Vietnam and Cambodia, considering it as a invaluablecommon asset of the two nations that should be passed to future generations. 


At the talks, the parliament leaders agreed thatthe two sides will increase delegation exchanges and meetings between seniorleaders, ministries, sectors and localities so as to coordinate to implementthe reached agreements. They will also share information, experience andconcrete measures to timely solve problems arising in bilateral relations inthe spirit of mutual understanding and trust, and in conformity with law ofVietnam and Cambodia, international practice and the two countries’ traditionalfriendship.

President Heng Samrin consented to Chairwoman Ngan’s viewthat both sides should maintain relations in all Party, State andpeople-to-people diplomacy channels. They also need to press ahead withfriendship activities and educate people from all walks of life, especiallyyounger generations, on the Vietnam-Cambodia solidarity, friendship andcomprehensive cooperation.

President Heng Samrin agreed with his Vietnamesecounterpart’s proposals to continue negotiations between the two countries forthe early signing of the Vietnam-Cambodia Border Trade Agreement to replace theAgreement on Trade and Exchange of Goods and Services in Border Areas inked in2001. 

The Cambodian NA backs the facilitation of licensing of Vietnamese businesses’investment projects in Cambodia, he said.

Chairwoman Ngan called on the two sides tointensify their cooperation in defence and security, and join hands to fightsmuggling and cross-border crimes.  

She also suggested stronger coordination insearching and repatriating remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and expertswho sacrificed their lives in Cambodia. 

The two legislatures should create conditionsfor Vietnamese and Cambodian Governments as well as relevant ministries,agencies and localities to complete the construction of auxiliary bordermarkers and poles along the common border line in 2017, and finalise the dossieron border demarcation and marker planting in line with regulations of theVietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee for Border Demarcation and Marker Planting, towardsreaching a legal document acknowledging outcomes of the work.

[Cambodian PM thanks Vietnam for help in ending Pol Pot regime]

In this regard, the top Cambodian legislatorpledged to seek measures together with Vietnam to accelerate the land borderdemarcation and market planting.  

Ngan expressed her belief that under the instructionof his Cambodian counterpart, difficulties regarding the legal status of overseasVietnamese in Cambodia will soon be removed, helping them stabilise their livesin the host country. 

She informed her guest that the Vietnameselegislature has decided to provide sets of computers worth 3 billion VND(132,000 USD) for the Secretariat of the Cambodian Senate in 2017. 

At the talks, the two leaders also discussed severalregional and international issues of shared concern. 

NA Chairwoman Ngan said Vietnam will join handswith other ASEAN countries, including Cambodia, to build a strong ASEANCommunity, actively and responsibility contributing to the common consensus ofthe ten-member group. 

She askedCambodia to increase exchanges, consultations and information sharing withVietnam in the framework of Greater Mekong Subregion mechanisms such asCambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV), Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV), Mekong River Commission (MRC) and Mekong-Langcan Cooperation.

Cambodia should actively work with Vietnam and other ASEAN nations to completethe frame of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the Ease Sea between ASEAN and China in2017.

Chairwoman Ngan said hosting the APEC Year2017 is one of the diplomatic focuses of Vietnam, showing thecountry’s determination to boost intensive and extensive internationalintegration and raise its multilateral external relations.

She expressed her wish that Cambodia willsupport Vietnam in successfully organising the event.

The same day, the NA Chairwoman hosted thebanquet for her Cambodian counterpart Heng Samrin, his wife and entourage.-VNA