Cambodian and Vietnamese PMs hold talks

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his entourage began an official visit to Cambodia on November 15 to attend the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) summits at the invitation of Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Both PMs held talks to strengthen and develop the friendship and cooperation between the two nations after the welcoming ceremony.

PM Hun Sen highlighted the visit by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his entourage and expressed his belief that the visit will give a fresh impetus to promoting the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. PM Dung said he was very glad to be re-visiting Cambodia and highly appreciated Cambodia’s prestige and status in the regional and international arena.

PM Hun Sen also highlighted Vietnam’s role as ASEAN 2010 President and its successful organization of the 17th ASEAN Summit and related summits. He also gave congratulations for the 11th Vietnam’s Communist Party Congress which will be completed by early 2011. He said Vietnamese investors have boosted direct investment in Cambodia while other nations met difficulties in overseas investment due to the impact of the global financial crisis.

Both PMs expressed delight at the fine development in the relationship between the two nations in recent years, and determined to bring the friendship and comprehensive cooperative relations to a new height. They also agreed to promote exchange of delegations at all levels, devise effective measures to promote cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, banking, energy, power, oil and gas, and transportation. Both PMs also encouraged service and trade activities among localities, especially localities at border areas.

The two leaders also agreed to closely cooperate in the fields of security, national defense and anti-terrorism and trans-national crime, human trafficking, and drug smuggling. They affirmed that none hostile forces are allowed to destroy the friendly relations between the two nations and showed determination to complete the border demarcation and marker planting by 2012. PM Dung highly appreciated that Cambodia’s role in creating favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to live and do business in the country and asked Cambodia to further facilitate the activities of overseas Vietnamese.

At the talk, both PMs also discussed issues on strengthening cooperation within ASEAN as well as the sub-regional cooperation mechanism. After the talk, both PMs witnessed the signing ceremony of a payment agreement between the State Bank of Vietnam and the Cambodia Royal Bank.