Vietnam and Cambodia are neighbouring countries with a long-standing, traditional friendship; they have spent years fighting side by side for national independence, construction and development. With the long-term sustainable relationship of good neighbours, the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries is being constantly being strengthened and is developing in a stable manner.
Political relations are firmly maintained as the core guiding relations between the two countries. The two countries’ high-ranking leaders maintain visits, engagements and exchanges in various forms. In 2023, the two sides successfully organised a meeting between the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Standing Committee of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), and coordinated to organise a meeting between the top leaders of the three Parties of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia as well as a working breakfast between the three Prime Ministers on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia. Since assuming his new position, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has had many meetings and engagements with senior Vietnamese leaders while attending regional and international forums and conferences.
Investment and trade cooperation are bright spots in Vietnam-Cambodia relations, with two-way trade value reaching 6.5 billion USD in the first nine months of 2023. Vietnam is Cambodia’s third largest trading partner in the world and its largest in ASEAN. To date, Vietnam has invested 2.94 billion USD across 205 projects in Cambodia, ranking first in ASEAN and among the top five largest foreign investors in Cambodia.
As an important pillar in Vietnam-Cambodia relations, defence-security cooperation is becoming closer and more substantive, contributing to the maintenance of political stability and development in each country. The two sides continue to work together and build on the result of demarcation of 84% of their land border to resolve the remaining portion.
Cooperation between the two countries’ ministries, agencies and localities is maintained and expanded. Important bilateral cooperation mechanisms are organised regularly and effectively, especially the Joint Committee on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technological Cooperation and the Cooperation and Development Conference between border provinces. Cooperation in education, culture, social affairs, science and technology, and transport has seen new developments. Cooperation between mass organisations and people's organisations are maintained and reformed with new methods. Relations between border provinces is also implemented in a practical and effective manner.
As both members of ASEAN and regional cooperation mechanisms, as well as in the Mekong sub-region, Vietnam and Cambodia coordinate well and support each other at international forums and regional and sub-regional mechanisms.
Coming at a time of stable and positive development of Vietnam-Cambodia relations, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s official visit to Vietnam is highly significant, contributing to strengthening the trust, bond and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, two States and peoples. Prime Minister Hun Manet’s first official visit to Vietnam since the new Cambodian government was established in August 2023 demonstrates Cambodia’s respect along with its wish to further strengthen relations between the two countries.
Extending a cordial welcome to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Vietnam affirms the Party and State’s consistent policy of always attaching importance and giving top priority to further consolidating and deepening relations with Cambodia. This also affirms Vietnam’s support for Cambodia and the CPP, with the belief that the new government led by Prime Minister Hun Manet will continue building a peaceful, stable and prosperous Cambodia, thus enhancing its role and position in the region and the world.
The visit is an opportunity for the two countries’ leaders to discuss specific measures to continue implementing the signed agreements and outline the directions of cooperation in a new period. The visit also contributes to consolidating shared views between the two countries on international and regional issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea/South China Sea issue and the Mekong sub-region, as well as promoting coordination between the two countries at multilateral organisations and mechanisms.
May Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s official visit to Vietnam be a great success, continuing to affirm that the two countries always value and give high priority to the long-term sustainable relationship of good neighbours, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia, thus contributing to strengthening political trust and taking the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries into a new stage of development.
