HCM City (VNA) – Cambodian Prime MinisterSamdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen has thanked Ho Chi Minh City forassisting his country’s Phnom Penh capital and other localities.

While meeting with Secretary of the municipalParty Committee Dinh La Thang in the city on December 21, the PM noted thatCambodia always attaches importance to reinforcing cooperation and friendshipwith Vietnam, including HCM City.

2017 will mark 40 years since he set foot inVietnam to begin the struggle to liberate Cambodia from the Khmer Rougegenocidal regime, a fight that received the wholehearted and pure support from theVietnamese army and people, he said.

He reiterated the commitment to, together withCambodia’s Royal Government and people, boosting the cooperation, amity andunity with Vietnam.

For his part, Thang described the PM’s visit toVietnam as a demonstration of the countries’ sound neighbourliness and also achance to expand bilateral partnerships, including collaboration between HCMCity and Cambodia.

The southern city of Vietnam treasures andpledges to do all-out efforts to nurture the solidarity and friendship withCambodian localities, he said.

He asked PM Hun Sen to continue providingfavourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses, including those of HCM City,to do economic, trade, cultural and tourism activities, thereby strengtheningbilateral connections.

Congratulating Cambodia on all-facetedachievements, Thang said he believes that the Cambodian people will obtain evengreater accomplishments in national development.

Also on December 21, PM Hun Sen met with morethan 200 former Vietnamese officers and soldiers who voluntarily performedinternational duties in Cambodia.

He said through this visit, he wants to conveythe Cambodian people’s thanks to the Vietnamese Party, Government, army andpeople for assistance in defeating and preventing the return of the KhmerRouge, thus creating prerequisites for Cambodia’s development nowadays.

He recalled the time he and Vietnam’s volunteerofficers and soldiers spent fighting for Cambodia’s liberation and constructingthe country.

The two countries’ relations will remain intactregardless of complex international situation, he said, stressing that the twoParties, Governments and peoples always trust each other and unite againsthostile forces’ plots to sabotage their ties, he added.

On the occasion of the 72nd founding anniversaryof the Vietnam People’s Army (December 22, 1944), PM Hun Sen wished the army tocontinue developing, fulfilling the task of protecting the nation, andeffectively taking part in Vietnam’s socio-economic development.-VNA