Hanoi (VNA) – President of the Cambodian National Assembly Heng Samrindelivered a speech at the ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of theVietnam-Cambodia diplomatic ties held in Hanoi on June 24.

Following is the full text of the speech translated by VNA.

Madame Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Chairwoman of the National Assembly of theSocialist Republic of Vietnam,

Madame Men Sam An, Deputy Prime Minister,Minister of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection of Cambodia, Chairwomanof the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association,

- Leaders, formerleaders, Ambassadors, distinguished guests, veteran experts and volunteersoldiers present here,

1. Today is agreat day and it is an honor and pride for the high-ranking delegation of theCambodian National Assembly to attend the 50th anniversary of diplomatic tiesbetween Vietnam and Cambodia (June 24, 1967-2017) and the Vietnam-CambodiaFriendship Year in Hanoi, the beautiful, historic capital city of the SocialistRepublic of Vietnam.

2.  On behalf of the Cambodian National Assemblydelegation, I would like to thank leaders of Vietnam, the National Assembly,and people for giving us a warm welcome since we arrived in Hanoi. It's trulythat each time I was here, I have always witnessed rapid aesthetic appearancechanges and unceasing development of this city.

3. I highlyvalued and would like to commend on the sound organisation for the ceremony totake place in a solemn manner which is full of solidarity, brotherhood andcloseness.

4. The organisationof the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic ties today is a greathistorical event, constituting that the well-established traditional solidarityand friendship and sound cooperation between our countries haven brought mutualbenefits for our nations, especially in winning back peace, stability andprosperity.

5. This bigpolitical event offered a good chance for the two countries to communicate,educate and promote deeper understanding of the importance and value of thetraditional solidarity and friendship and all-faceted cooperation between ourcountries for young people, including those born today and those to be born tomorrow,so they would work together to preserve and further foster this relationshipfor it to thrive in a more stable fashion.

6. In addition tothis, this anniversary was aimed to herald immense achievements attainedtogether by the two countries' Parties, Governments, National Assemblies andpeople over recent time, especially the efforts reached the upcoming completionof the Vietnam-Cambodia border of peace, amity, cooperation, and development.

7. As said by MadameChairwoman of the Vietnam National Assembly regarding how the countries' goodcooperation and ties were born and have developed as well as robust growthachieved by Vietnamese under the sound and mindful leadership of Vietnameseleaders through various periods, the Cambodian NA would like to congratulateand highly value the immense gains and successes that Vietnam's Party, State,Government, and people have unceasingly achieved during their recentsocio-economic development cause, and believe that the realisation of the2016-2020 five-year socio-economic development plan of the Communist Party ofVietnam will make Vietnam grow faster and achieve its goal as an industrializedand modernised country by 2020.

Ladies andgentlemen,

8. The diplomaticties of our countries founded by Cambodia's Head of State Norodom Sihanouk andPresident of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh have gone throughhalf a century. The two countries possessed a history of together fighting,sharing and surmounting difficulties, hardships and challenges in the struggleagainst colonialism and imperialism for our each country's noble cause,freedom, peace and independence. At present, both our countries have ushered ina new page of history and have gained peace, territorial integrity, anddevelopment. They have advanced firmly toward with confidence in building astrong national economy to bring growths for our nations and to contributeimportantly to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in theregion and the world.

9. I as well as otherpartners and Vietnamese veterans present here must still remember clearly theatrocity suffered by Cambodia during the mid-1970s and the bravery of theVietnamese volunteer soldiers, who fought shoulder to shoulder with thesoldiers of the Cambodian National Salvation Front in breaking up the Pol Potgenocidal regime - who killed more than three million innocent Khmer people, ruinedtheir country to ashes, and completely destroyed the national economy, whichhas never ever happened in Cambodia's history. After being liberated on January7, 1979, grave support and assistance from fraternal Vietnamese people andother friend countries have allowed Cambodia to restore, build and develop the countryof Cambodian as it is today. This fact and bravery have ingrained in the heartof Cambodian people and cannot be forgotten. 

10. During thepast 50 years, the relations and cooperation between the two countries in the frameworkof the Parties, States, Government and National Assemblies have been reinforcedand stepped up constantly, reaching a never ever new height in historyfollowing the motto "good neighbours, traditional friendship, comprehensivecooperation and long-term sustainability", and respect for the respectiveindependence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

11. Ourcountries' relations and cooperation have been reaping fruits in many fields,including politics, social-economic affairs, tourism, culture, education,science and trade. The historical, important outcome reached by both sides isthe border demarcation and border marker planting, which are completing around83 percent of the workload. This manifested efforts made and real goodwill ofthe two countries in tackling land birder issues to make the shared border theone of peace, friendship, cooperation and development for peace, stability andwealth of their people. These factors have created a peaceful and stableenvironment, helping accelerate economic growth to raise the living conditionsand reducing poverty for our people.

12. In additionto, the exchange of visits, including State, official and friendship ones madeby high-ranking leaders as well as by experts and businesses has been carriedout regularly and  on the rise,contributing to cementing and deepening further the sound friendship andsolidarity and closely-knitted cooperation between the two countries. Withinthe economic-trade framework, the two countries have accelerated affiliationsacross spheres, with the two Governments prioritising trade and pushing ittowards the goal of 5 billion USD in the near future. Specifically, in 2015,two-way trade hit 3 billion USD and Vietnam ranked fifth among investors inCambodia.


13. Thoughbilateral cooperation and assistance from other friend countries and theinternational community, especially the tireless efforts by the RoyalGovernment, Cambodia has become an island of peace achieving robust growth.Cambodia has worked to turn into a new economic tiger in Asia after havingexperienced poverty, difficulties and crisis over the past decades. Theonce-war-victim country has owned successes that relied on solid economicgrowth, averaging 7 percent and above during 2011-2016, helping millions ofCambodians escape from poverty with average GDP per capita rising from 288 USDin 2000 to 1,300 USD in 2016. 

14. Together withmaintaining the macro-economy stability, Cambodia's economy could continueretaining its 7 percent growth to help the country achieve its long-term goalof becoming a mid-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050.Cambodian will continue consistently embarking on the open economic policy in amore active manner via endeavouring to make connectivity in all forms andintegrating extensively and intensively into the regional and global economies.

15. On thissolemn anniversary, I'm so glad to inform you that in the preliminary outcomesof the commune/ward people's council election, the fourth tenure in June, 2017,the Cambodian People's Party won in 1,150 communes/wards, accounting for 70percent of the 1,646 communes/wards nationwide and 6,512 seats in thecommune/ward people's councils, accounting for 56.27 percent of the total commune/wardpeople's council seats nationwide. This result showed the huge victory of theCambodian People's Party in the upcoming Senate election and the General electionin 2018.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

16. Within the legal framework, relations and cooperation between the twocountries’ national assemblies have been unceasingly strengthened and developedthrough the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the twoparliaments, bringing common benefits. The two National Assemblies are alsopleased and support traditional solidarity and comprehensive cooperationbetween the two Governments.

17. During the last four tenures, the two National Assemblies strengthenedtheir sound cooperation and mutual support through the delegation exchange at highlevel as well as at specialised committee and expert levels, while supportingeach other at regional and international forums. Particularly, the officialvisit by Madame Chairwoman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic ofVietnam to Cambodia in early September 2016 and the official visit by the Presidentof the Cambodian National Assembly to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam inAugust 2014 have significantly contributed to strengthening and consolidating bilateralcooperation between the two countries' legislatures in a deep, practical andeffective manner. In addition, the two National Assemblies conducted visitsbetween specialised committees and the friendship parliamentary groups, organisedCambodia-Laos-Vietnam workshops, ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Alliance Forum, AsianInter-Parliament, World Inter-Parliamentary Union, and so on. Thereby, theyhave created opportunities for the two National Assemblies to share experienceand information for interests of the two countries and peoples of Vietnam andCambodia.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

18. Once again, on behalf of the Cambodianpeople, I would like to sincerely thank the Party, State and people of Vietnam fortheir valuable support and assistance to the Cambodian people in recovering andrebuilding the country, especially the precious service and great sacrifice ofVietnamese volunteer soldiers who performed the international mission to help freeCambodians escape from the Pol Pot genocidal regime on January 7, 1979.

19. I believe that the heroic sacrifice examplesin the history of traditional friendship, solidarity and cooperation in nationbuilding of the leaders of previous and today generations are further preserved,nurtured and fostered by the two people of the future generations.

20. Finally, I wish the traditional friendship, solidarity and comprehensivecooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia will last forever.

21. On this solemn occasion, I wishleaders, former leaders of the Party, State, National Assembly and Government,former experts and volunteer veterans of Vietnam, and all of you present heretoday always good health, happiness and many successes.

Thank you./.