Vietnamese State President To Lam and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet have pledged to promote the connectivity between the two countries’ economies and beef up security and defense ties, among other cooperative areas.

President Lam and PM Manet made the pledge during their talks in Phnom Penh on Saturday as part of the former’s two-day Cambodia visit, which concluded the same day, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The host and guest expressed satisfaction with the strong development of bilateral relations in all fields and had in-depth discussions on directions and solutions to further promote these relations.

They agreed to connect the two countries' economies by implementing signed agreements, such as the memorandum of understanding on developing and connecting Vietnam-Cambodia border trade infrastructure and the agreement on bilateral trade promotion for the 2025-26 period.

Appreciating Vietnam’s policy of encouraging Vietnamese businesses to increase investment in Cambodia, PM Manet pledged to continue facilitating, supporting, and protecting Vietnamese investors in Cambodia, considering this an important target of the Cambodian government to strengthen connections between the private sectors of the two countries.

In discussing the bilateral security and defense cooperation, President Lam and PM Manet vowed to strengthen collaboration in this field and adhere to the principle of not allowing any hostile force to use one country’s territory to sabotage the other.

Vietnam and Cambodia will cooperate more closely in high-tech and cross-border crime prevention and control, continue to build a borderline of peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development, and support each other in improving law enforcement capacity and training personnel, the two leaders agreed.

They emphasized the need for effective coordination in implementing bilateral treaties, agreements, and pacts related to the border.

They also agreed to continue negotiating and finding fair and reasonable solutions to complete border demarcation in certain areas.

Both the host and guest were committed to further cooperation in preventing cross-border human trafficking and drug smuggling to ensure security and safety for residents in border areas.

The two leaders also shared the need to speed up transport connection via border gate pairs, launch the new direct air route Hanoi - Phnom Penh - Hanoi of Vietnam’s national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, and coordinate with Laos to deploy ‘A Journey, Three Destinations’ travel packages through Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

Underscoring the significance of human resource development, the two leaders consented to foster cooperation in this field, including Vietnam continuing to grant scholarships to Cambodian students.

The two sides concurred that each country will increase the reception of students from the other to train in specific fields aligned with new development trends, such as digital transformation and science and technology applications.

In the spirit of mutual respect, understanding, and benefit, President Lam and his host also agreed to enhance cooperation in the management and sustainable use of Mekong River water resources.

This collaboration aims to benefit communities in the basin, secure the future for the next generations, and strengthen solidarity among the riverine countries.

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