Phnom Penh (VNA) – President To Lam held talks with President of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and President of the Senate Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Phnom Penh on July 12.

Congratulating the CPP on its great success at the recent elections and Hun Sen on his election as President of the Senate, Lam appreciated his host’s precious sentiment towards and key role in the maintenance and development of the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

Hun Sen highly valued his guest’s first state visit to Cambodia as the State leader of Vietnam, considering the trip a contribution to the countries’ friendship and close-knit ties.

The two leaders applauded the cooperation achievements obtained in the recent past as seen in the increased political trust with frequent visits and meetings between the countries’ leaders, the substantive development of security - defence cooperation that has become a pillar of bilateral relations, and the stronger trade and investment links, with Vietnam among large investors and trading partners of Cambodia.

Besides, other cooperation areas like education, culture, and tourism have become more and more diverse. Particularly, people-to-people exchanges have been carried out extensively in various forms, especially between the provinces sharing the borderline. The collaboration between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Cambodian Senate and National Assembly has been increasingly reinforced, helping consolidate party-to-party and government-to-government ties.

The stability, peace, and development of a country also benefit the other, the leaders agreed.

They voiced appreciation for the assistance, solidarity, cohesion, and sacrifice their countries have given to each other during the struggles for national liberation in the past as well as the national development at present, stressing that this is an undeniable truth.

Hun Sen underlined Vietnam’s assistance and sacrifice that helped his country to escape from the Pol Pot genocidal regime and revive.

To develop bilateral relations more strongly in the new period, both host and guest agreed to actively realise the high-level agreements and results of the high-level meetings between the two Parties.

Vietnam and Cambodia will step up meetings and interactions between all-level leaders and via all channels, especially between young leaders and youths of the countries, as well as young leaders of the Cambodia - Laos - Vietnam Development Triangle Area. They will bring into play the mechanisms of the Joint Committee for economic, cultural, scientific and technical cooperation, and the cooperation and development conference of border provinces. New cooperation mechanisms such as the meeting between the foreign ministers of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos will be actively implemented. Additionally, exchanges, cooperation, and mutual assistance will be expanded between the two countries’ legislative, executive and judicial bodies, people’s organisations, and localities, they said.

Lam and Hun Sen emphasised that their countries will develop security - defence cooperation more comprehensively and profoundly; adhere to the consistent principle of not allowing any hostile force to use a country’s territory to sabotage the other and considering a country’s safety as the other’s benefit; bring into play the mechanisms of the annual meeting among the ministers of public security/interior of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, the meeting of the three countries’ defence ministers, and the three countries’ joint exercise on response to non-traditional security challenges; and also enhance coordination between the two countries’ competent forces.

Particularly underlining the historic significance of the Vietnam - Cambodia relations, both leaders reached high consensus on the need to strongly reform and diversify communication and education forms help the two countries’ people, especially the young, to have right awareness of the traditional friendship, solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, countries, and peoples. They also stressed the resolve to prevent hostile forces from distorting or driving a wedge into their countries’ friendship.

Hun Sen also highlighted the importance of cooperation in human resources development, asking Vietnam to continue assisting Cambodia in this regard.

The two leaders agreed to continue strengthening the Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia cooperation, including effectively implementing the agreements reached at the high-level meeting among the leaders of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the CPP, and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party. They concurred in maintaining and capitalising on the meetings among the three countries’ Prime Ministers, parliamentary leaders, ministers of public security, national defence and foreign affairs, along with leaders of some other ministries and sectors.

Solidarity and cohesion among Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia will be intensified for the sake of each country and the region, they remarked.

Replying to Lam’s invitation, Hun Sen affirmed that he will pay a visit to Vietnam in the near future./