VIETNAM, November 3 -  

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính will pay an official visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia on November 8, where he will also attend the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits on November 10-13.

The visit is at the invitation of Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techno Hun Sen, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

This is PM Chính's first official visit to neighbouring Cambodia in his capacity as the Vietnamese Government leader, and also the first official visit by a Vietnamese leader to the country in the Việt Nam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2022, spokesperson for the foreign ministry Lê Thị Thu Hằng noted at a press conference in Hà Nội.

The visit will take place as the good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, and comprehensive, long-term and sustainable cooperation between Việt Nam and Cambodia continues to flourish.

The two sides have held many important, meaningful activities to commemorate the friendship year, which is also the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Trade turnover between the two countries in the first nine months of 2022 hit US$4.8 billion, up 16.7 per cent year-on-year.

During the visit, PM Chính will hold official talks with his counterpart Hun Sen and join him in chairing the Việt Nam-Cambodia trade and investment promotion forum. He will also have an audience with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, and meet with President of the Cambodian Senate Samdech Say Chhum, Speaker of the National Assembly Heng Samrin, and other leaders in Cambodia.

According to spokesperson Hằng, this is the first time PM Chính has attended in-person the ASEAN summits and meetings between ASEAN and external partners, marking the resumption of face-to-face exchanges and dialogues between leaders after over two years of hiatus due to COVID-19.

The ASEAN summits will be an opportunity for leaders to discuss community building, strengthen solidarity and centrality, review and set directions for external partnerships and discuss strategic issues in a region and the world.

During the visit, PM Chính is expected to attend 20 activities and have meetings with leaders of countries and international organisations to discuss issues of mutual concern.

Hằng noted that as an active and responsible ASEAN member, Việt Nam will closely coordinate with Cambodia as the organisation's chair, as well as other Member States and countries to ensure the summits are successful. 

The summits should strengthen the solidarity, unity, and neutrality of ASEAN, promote the bloc's mutually beneficial partnerships, handle issues that ASEAN faces in a balanced and harmonious manner and contribute to the community-building process for peace and stability in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.

Regarding the Myanmar issue, Hằng said as a member state of ASEAN, Việt Nam hopes that the situation will soon stabilise so that the country can continue to develop for the benefit of the people of Myanmar.

"In that spirit, Việt Nam support and stands ready to contribute to ASEAN's efforts to assist Myanmar in overcoming the current crisis, especially through the effective implementation of the five-point consensus with priorities given to ending violence, promoting dialogue and reconciliation among the parties for the benefit of the people at large, for the solidarity and integrity of ASEAN and peace, stability, and cooperation in the region," the spokesperson remarked.

"The support to Myanmar needs to be delivered step-by-step, synchronously, balanced, and transparently by ASEAN. The bloc also needs to play a central role in gathering and coordinating international efforts to support Myanmar," spokesperson Hằng concluded. — VNS