General Secretary's visit to Cambodia: Demonstrating priority and commitment to fostering a strong neighbourly relationship
WVR - According to Nguyen Manh Cuong, Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the state visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia by General Secretary To Lam holds significant political stature and meaning. It sends a strong message from the Party and State of Vietnam, as well as from General Secretary To Lam personally, emphasizing the priority and commitment to developing and nurturing a strong, traditional friendship and comprehensive, sustainable cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.
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| General Secretary To Lam meets with King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia during the state visit to Vietnam by King Sihamoni, on the afternoon of November 28, 2024. (Source: Nhan Dan Newspaper) |
On the occasion of General Secretary To Lam's state visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia on February 6, Nguyen Manh Cuong, Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, shared with the press the special significance and importance of the visit.
Could you please elaborate on the purpose, significance, and main activities of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam's state visit to Cambodia?
At the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia, General Secretary To Lam will lead a high-level delegation from the Party and State of Vietnam on a state visit to Cambodia on February 6.
Alongside the state visit to Laos, the state visit to Cambodia marks General Secretary To Lam's first overseas trip following the successful 14th National Congress of the Party.
The visit holds significant political stature and meaning, sending a strong message from the Party and State of Vietnam, as well as from General Secretary To Lam personally, emphasizing the priority and commitment to developing and nurturing a strong, traditional friendship and comprehensive, sustainable cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.
The visit provides an opportunity for the highest leaders of both nations to enhance exchanges, consolidate political trust, and effectively implement agreed-upon commitments. This not only deepens the traditional friendship between the two Parties and countries but also serves as a catalyst for elevating Vietnam-Cambodia relations to new heights, in line with the aspirations of the peoples of both nations and contributing positively to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region.
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| Nguyen Manh Cuong, Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. (Photo: Chu Van) |
How do you assess the outstanding achievements in Vietnam-Cambodia relations in recent times?
It can be said that Vietnam-Cambodia relations have achieved very positive and substantial results, reflected in the following areas:
Firstly, political trust between the two countries has been strengthened, providing a solid foundation for overall cooperation in various fields. Leaders of both countries frequently visit and meet each other. In 2025, Hun Sen, Chairman of the Cambodian People's Party and President of the Cambodian Senate, visited Vietnam three times, attended the high-level meeting of the two Parties in February 2025, the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, and the 80th Anniversary of Vietnam's National Day. Additionally, our Party and State leaders have had numerous meetings and phone calls with Cambodian leaders.
Both sides have also organized important bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the 21st Session of the Joint Committee on Economic, Cultural, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation and the 13th Conference on Cooperation and Development of Border Provinces. High-level visits and contacts have contributed to consolidating political trust and setting directions to resolve difficulties and obstacles in cooperation, enhancing the effectiveness of coordination between the two countries.
Secondly, defense and security cooperation is a strong pillar in the relationship between the two countries. Both sides have effectively coordinated the implementation of cooperation programs and plans, contributing to ensuring national defense, security, and social order in each country; building a peaceful, friendly, and cooperative border line for mutual development, consistently adhering to the principle of not allowing any force to use one country's territory to oppose the other.
Thirdly, economic, trade, and investment cooperation has seen substantial development. The total bilateral trade turnover in 2025 reached USD 11.33 billion, an increase of nearly 12% compared to the same period in 2024. Vietnam has 229 active investment projects in Cambodia with a total registered capital of USD 2.94 billion, ranking second among 85 overseas investment destinations of Vietnam. Vietnamese enterprises' investments are present in almost all major economic sectors in Cambodia, with many projects operating stably and effectively, contributing significantly to Cambodia's socio-economic development.
Fourthly, educational, cultural cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries continue to be strengthened. Tourism has recovered and grown strongly. Tourists from Cambodia reached nearly 700,000, an increase of over 54%, ranking sixth among the top ten markets with the largest number of tourists to Vietnam. Conversely, more than 1 million Vietnamese tourists visited Cambodia, ranking first among countries with tourists visiting Cambodia. Cooperation in education, training, and human resource development continues to be a key area of interest for both sides.
The "Nurturing Friendship" movement, exchanges, and twinning between localities of the two countries have been promoted, not only limited to provinces with shared borders but also expanded to other provinces. Through educational activities, cultural exchanges, and local twinning, understanding and bonds between the peoples of the two countries, especially the younger generation, are increasingly strengthened, becoming a solid foundation for the friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Fifthly, cooperation at regional and international forums has been enhanced. Both sides closely coordinate and promote solidarity and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially within the framework of ASEAN, the United Nations, and the Mekong Sub-region Cooperation, contributing to ASEAN's joint efforts in maintaining a peaceful, stable, and developing environment in the region and internationally.
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| General Secretary To Lam takes a photo with Hun Sen, Chairman of the Cambodian People's Party and President of the Cambodian Senate, and Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary and President of Laos, on February 22, 2025, in Ho Chi Minh City. (Source: VNA) |
What are Vietnam's expectations from this particularly significant visit by the General Secretary?
As shared, General Secretary To Lam's state visit to Cambodia takes place at a crucial time when both countries are entering a new development phase with intertwined opportunities and challenges.
In terms of bilateral relations, Vietnam-Cambodia relations have made commendable progress in 2025. However, there is still much potential and room for further promotion to elevate the relationship to new heights, meeting the aspirations of the leaders and peoples of both countries.
During this visit, at the invitation of Hun Sen, Chairman of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and President of the Cambodian Senate, General Secretary To Lam will co-chair the high-level meeting between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Cambodian People's Party.
The General Secretary will also co-chair, along with senior leaders from Cambodia and Laos, the meeting of the three heads of the Parties of Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos. Therefore, it can be said that both Vietnam and Cambodia express high confidence, determination, and expectations for this visit by the General Secretary, reflected in several points as follows:
Firstly, the visit is expected to create a breakthrough, opening a new phase for Vietnam-Cambodia relations with enhanced political trust at a higher level, broader and deeper cooperation, and closer ties.
Secondly, with the cooperation results achieved in recent times, the visit is anticipated to open opportunities for tighter and deeper connections between the two countries in economic, trade, and investment fields, creating strategic interwoven interests in key areas such as trade, investment, supply chains, agriculture, processing industry, infrastructure, energy, transportation...
Thirdly, the visit will help unify perceptions at the highest level between the two Parties and States, setting major directions and creating an important political foundation to unblock cooperation in many fields in the spirit of mutual understanding and trust, leading Vietnam-Cambodia relations to stable, sustainable, and long-term development in the future.
Additionally, the meeting between the heads of the three Parties on this occasion reaffirms the historical value and strategic significance of the traditional, special solidarity and faithful bond between the two Parties and countries of Vietnam-Cambodia, as well as among the three Parties and countries of Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos.
The visit by the General Secretary will not only contribute to consolidating a solid political foundation for Vietnam-Cambodia relations but also create new momentum to promote comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties and countries, as well as among the three Parties and countries of Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos, for peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region.
Thank you!
