Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh left Hanoi on Tuesday morning for Cambodia for a two-day official visit during which he will also attend the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and other relevant events from November 10 to 13, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

The premier made the trip at the invitation of his Cambodian counterpart Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the ASEAN Chair in 2022, in the context that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Accompanying the PM are Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, and Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang, among other officials. 

During the visit, the two sides will focus on steps to boost the bilateral economic, trade and investment ties as well as their border security and defense cooperation, according to Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu.

On the first day of the visit, Chinh will stop over a number of important places before attending the official welcoming ceremony hosted by PM Hun Sen in Phnom Penh. 

The two PMs will have talks later and the Vietnamese government chief will also meet Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, President of the Senate Say Chhum, and Chairman of the National Assembly Heng Samrin.

On the same day, the host and guest will co-chair the Vietnam - Cambodia Investment Promotion Forum.

Economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia has developed rapidly and fruitfully over the past years, with two-way trade in the first nine months of 2022 reaching US$8.45 billion, up 16.7 percent year on year.

Vietnam now has 198 projects with a total registered investment capital of US$2.92 billion in Cambodia, leading the other ASEAN countries and ranking among the world’s top five countries in terms of direct investment in the kingdom.

Within the framework of the two ASEAN Summits and related events that will take place from November 10 to 13, PM Chinh will deliver speeches there and participate in more than 20 relevant activities. 

These high-level conferences mark the resumption of direct exchanges and dialogues between ASEAN countries’ leaders after more than two years of interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coming events will create opportunities for the leaders to discuss efforts to build a strong ASEAN Community, promote ASEAN’s central role, strengthen solidarity between the bloc’s members, review and orientate relations between ASEAN and its partners, and seek to discuss strategic issues in the region and the world.

They will also consider and approve many documents on cooperation within ASEAN countries and between ASEAN and its partners, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

In addition, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the bloc and the U.S. and India will be announced on this occasion.

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