President of the National Assembly Khuon Sudary met with Vietnamese officials in Vietnam on November 30. NA
The presidents of the Cambodian and Vietnamese national assemblies (NAs) reiterated their commitment to fostering cooperation and emphasised the expansion of visit exchanges among their NA members. They highlighted the implementation of agreements, including the installation of border posts to establish a peaceful and developmental border.
The commitment was underlined during NA president Khuon Sudary’s formal visit to Vietnam from November 30 to December 2, according to a press release.
During the visit, Sudary engaged in discussions with Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and Sudary’s counterpart Vuong Dinh Hue.
The Cambodian delegation also met with representatives of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA) and visited Ha Nam, a province in northern Vietnam’s Red River Delta.
Both parties agreed to nurture and promote a unique and valuable cultural relationship, ensuring its preservation and continuation by future generations.
The officials also reaffirmed their focus on locating the remains of Vietnamese soldiers on Cambodian soil and advancing cybersecurity cooperation.
Vuong conveyed the Vietnamese NA’s dedication to reinforcing ties with their Cambodian legislative and executive bodies across various sectors, including diplomacy, trade, economy, security, tourism, innovation, education, training and agriculture.
Sudary echoed her Vietnamese counterparts’ sentiments, stressing the need to deepen friendship and cooperation amid a complex, uncertain and high-risk global landscape.
“Based on the bonds of traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation, we decided to make our first formal visit to Vietnam at the start of the seventh-mandate NA,” she added.
She expressed satisfaction with the growth in cooperation across all sectors between the two governments, notably the annual increase in Cambodia-Vietnam trade.
Kin Phea, director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, stated that the robust relationship has fostered cooperation in various sectors and combated cross-border crime.
He identified the expedited border demarcation and resolution of Vietnamese immigrant issues in Cambodia as key challenges, advocating for solutions based on mutual benefits and legal principles.
“For this relationship to flourish, we adhere to principles of mutual respect, sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs,” he stated.
Thong Mengdavid, a research supervisor at the Asian Vision Institute’s (AVI) Mekong Centre for Strategic Studies, views the inter-parliamentary relationship as a means to strengthen traditional and strategic cooperation, expanding bilateral ties.
In light of changing geopolitical and international security dynamics, he sees a greater need for the two countries to deepen political, security and economic cooperation, ensuring sustainable border security, sharing expertise and providing technical support in security and IT.
“Cambodia and Vietnam must also expedite the completion of the remaining border posts and accelerate the search for the remains of Vietnamese individuals who sacrificed their lives to assist Cambodia in overthrowing the [Khmer Rouge] genocidal regime,” he added.
