On October 14, To Lam received General Tea Seiha, Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister. Tea Seiha was visiting Vietnam officially to attend the 10th annual meeting of the defense ministers of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and the fifth joint civil defense exercise involving the three countries' armed forces.
At the meeting, To Lam said that Vietnam and Cambodia maintain traditional friendly relations, and that the two countries' armies and peoples had stood side by side in the struggle for independence and freedom.
To Lam thanked Cambodia for its continued support and assistance with searching for, recovering and identifying the remains of Vietnamese soldiers in Cambodia. He asked Cambodia to continue cooperating in this humanitarian work.
To Lam called on the two defense ministries to increase information sharing and mutual support to preserve political stability and security in each country. He also called for more effective coordination in managing and protecting the shared border, creating conditions for demarcation, placing border markers and legally formalizing the results already achieved. He further urged ministries, agencies and local authorities to strengthen infrastructure links, trade and economic development in border areas, helping connect the two economies and working toward bilateral trade of 20 billion US dollars.
Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Seiha expressed gratitude for Vietnam's material and moral support to Cambodia in recent years as it built, protected and developed the country. He also thanked Vietnam's Ministry of National Defense and army for their cooperation and assistance.
General Tea Seiha said that friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia has special and priceless significance and must be preserved, strengthened and developed for future generations. He said the two sides would jointly organize practical activities in 2027 to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The activities are intended to improve understanding and deepen solidarity and friendship between the peoples and armed forces of the two countries.
Sources: Thanh Niên
