Art performance at the Ceremony
Comrade Vo Van Thuong, Politburo member, Permanent Secretary of the Secretariat, Head of the National Steering Committee “Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2022”; Ms. Men Sam An, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Assembly Relations, Senate and Inspector of Cambodia, Vice Chairman of the Cambodian People’s Party, Chairman of the Cambodia – Vietnam Friendship Association, Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung, former Prime Minister, Mr. Dinh Tien Dung, Politburo member, Secretary of the City Party Committee, Head of the Hanoi National Assembly Delegation; General Pham Van Tra, former Minister of National Defense; Mr. Do Van Chien, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; Mr. Nguyen Trong Nghia, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda Department; Mr. Le Minh Khai, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister; members of the Party Central Committee, leaders of departments, ministries and branches; Vietnamese veterans and former experts who served on international missions in Cambodia, etc. attended the ceremony.
Delegates attended the Ceremony
In the speech at the ceremony, on behalf of the leaders of the Party, State and people of Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai sent warm greetings to the Party, State and people of the Kingdom of Cambodia on this happy day of the two countries, two peoples. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that geographical proximity along with similarities in culture and history was a solid foundation for Vietnam and Cambodia to cultivate and develop one of the long-standing traditional relationships in Southeast Asia region. On June 24, 1967, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Kingdom of Cambodia officially established diplomatic relations, opening a new chapter in the history of the two countries. In a telegram sent to Cambodian President Norodom Sihanouk on November 8, 1968, President Ho Chi Minh emphasized that “today as well as tomorrow, our two countries will forever be close friends.”
In the following years, the peoples of Vietnam and Cambodia continued to stand shoulder to shoulder in the struggle for national liberation, giving each other invaluable support and both won historic victories in the spring of year 1975.
When the Cambodian people faced the Pol Pot genocidal tyrant, although Vietnam had not yet recovered from the severe consequences of wars, Vietnam continued to stand side by side with the patriotic forces and the Cambodian people, making a Victory on January 7, 1979, liberated the country and Cambodian people from the disaster of extinction, bringing revival to the country.
Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai spoke at the Ceremony
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, with the motto of developing bilateral relation: “Good neighborly relationship, traditional friendship, comprehensive, long-term sustainable cooperation”, Vietnam-Cambodia relation has been continuously consolidated and developed in all fields, bringing practical benefits to two peoples, making positive contributions to peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world.
Looking back on the past 55 years, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai affirmed that despite going through many difficulties and challenges along with the ups and downs of history, the traditional solidarity and friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and good relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia had been continuously consolidated and developed, making practical contributions to the construction and development of the two prosperous countries.
Vietnam’s consistent policy is to support an independent, peaceful, neutral and developed Cambodia. The Party, State and people of Vietnam attach great importance to and give high priority to the good neighborly relationship, traditional friendship, comprehensive and long-term sustainable cooperation with Cambodia.
This is also the desire and determination of the senior leaders of the two countries, as showed in General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s speech on the occasion of his visit on the behalf of the Country to Cambodia in 2017: “Even if there are changes on the world and the region, Vietnam always respects and will do its best together with Cambodia to preserve and cultivate the Vietnam-Cambodia relationship forever green, eternally sustainable.”
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Parliamentary Relations and Inspectorate, Kingdom of Cambodia, Men Sam An spoke at the Ceremony
Be pleasured to attend the celebration of the two countries in Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Parliamentary Relations and Inspectorate, Kingdom of Cambodia Men Sam An emphasized, over the past 55 years, two countries had always been close friends, good sincere neighbors of each other, jointly built a relationship of solidarity, friendship, strong traditional cooperation and joint operation as brothers, comrades, neighbors, won great success in cooperation in all fields. During the war, two countries fought side by side to help and support each other in the cause of successful liberation from the colonial yoke and of independence, sovereignty, freedom and complete national harmony. Today, two countries had entered a new chapter thanks to the achievement of peace, territorial integrity, progress and development in all fields, especially in the fields of diplomacy, defense, trade, investment, and tourism.
Vietnam and Cambodia have supported each other with equipment, medical supplies and vaccines to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic. “Indeed, Cambodia’s support for Vietnam when Vietnam was facing difficulties due to the Covid-19 epidemic cannot be compared with the great help that Vietnam had given Cambodia to liberate the Country on January 7, 1979. However, these are the love we give you during these difficult times. Our support for you in the context of the recent Covid-19 epidemic is to show our memory, gratitude as well as share our love to the people of Vietnam. On this occasion, I would like to express my sincerest and deepest respect and gratitude for the great help of the Party, State, Army and people of Vietnam who always help and share any joys and sorrows to Cambodian people. Vietnam’s support and help has contributed to Cambodia’s development from the people suffering misery and separation due to war to a unified country with complete peace and development in all fields”, Men Sam An stated clearly.
Colonel Nguyen Dinh, representative of former experts and volunteers of Vietnam who participated in the Cambodian revolution, spoke at the Ceremony
Representative of Cambodia’s young generation spoke at the Ceremony
Representative of Vietnam’s young generation spoke at the Ceremony
On this occasion, representatives of former Vietnamese experts and volunteers who participated in the Cambodian revolution before, and Youth representatives of two countries shared their feelings in a meaningful event to two countries and two peoples.
Minh Đat