This is the seventh visit to Vietnam by King Norodom Sihamoni since his coronation in 2004. The visit continues to demonstrate the friendship, trust and respect that King Norodom Sihamoni has for Vietnam and the relations between the two countries.
Vietnam and Cambodia officially established diplomatic relations on June 24, 1967. In 2005, the two countries agreed to set out the 16-word motto in developing bilateral relations: good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability.
Following that orientation, the bilateral relationship has been constantly strengthened and developed in all fields, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries while actively contributing to peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world at large.
The state visit to Vietnam by King Norodom Sihamoni takes place in the context that the bilateral relations have continued to be strengthened.
Cooperation on the Party channel plays a core role and guides the relationship between the two countries. The two sides have maintained many high-level contact activities, including high-level meetings between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Cambodian People’s Party as well as visits and meetings between leaders of the two countries on the sidelines of multilateral conferences.
Important bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the Joint Committee on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, and the Conference on Cooperation and Development of Border Provinces have been held regularly and effectively.
Defence-security cooperation continues to be a pillar and has been tightened in a close and substantive manner. Vietnam has 10 provinces sharing borders with 9 provinces of Cambodia.
On the basis of treaties and agreements between the two countries, functional agencies and local border authorities of the two sides have actively coordinated in implementing border demarcation and land demarcation.
Bilateral cooperation has also been promoted in many fields, such as education-training, transportation, culture, health, and telecommunications.
Economic, trade and investment cooperation is a bright spot, with bilateral trade turnover growing steadily. Vietnam is currently Cambodia’s third-largest trading partner and its top trading partner within ASEAN.
In the first 10 months of 2024, the two-way trade turnover reached 8.3 billion USD, up 17.5% over the same period in 2023.
To date, Vietnam has 205 valid investment projects in Cambodia with total registered capital of 2.94 billion USD, ranking first in ASEAN and in the group of five largest investors in Cambodia. Cambodia ranks second among 79 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.
The development of cooperation between ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries has brought about effective results, contributing to facilitating deeper and more practical cooperation in many fields.
People-to-people diplomacy activities between the Front organisations, the Friendship Parliamentary Group, the Friendship Association, and organisations between the two countries, especially in the border provinces, have been held enthusiastically, thus contributing to enhancing the understanding between the peoples of the two countries, especially those of the younger generation, about solidarity, friendship, cooperation, and mutual support between the two nations.
Vietnam and Cambodia have also coordinated and supported each other at multilateral organisations and forums, especially at the United Nations, ASEAN, and sub-regional mechanisms such as the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), and Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS). This contributes to enhancing the prestige and position of each country in the region and the world.
Welcoming King Norodom Sihamoni, Vietnam continues to affirm its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, and diversification and multilateralisation of foreign relations. Through the visit, Vietnam reaffirms its consistent policy of placing top priority in promoting relations with neighbouring countries and traditional friends, including Cambodia.
Based on the foundation of good neighbourhood, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability between Vietnam and Cambodia, may the state visit to Vietnam of King Norodom Sihamoni be a success, contributing to consolidating political trust and promoting cooperation in all areas between the two countries in a more practical and effective manner.
