Cambodia and Vietnam pledged to strengthen defence cooperation and transform their shared border areas into zones of peace, friendship and joint development, as the two countries’ defence ministers reviewed results of this year’s cooperation and continued implementing their cooperation plan for next year.

The commitment was made during a working meeting between General Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Cambodia, and General Phan Văn Giang, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Vietnam, at Vietnam’s National Defence Ministry on Tuesday.

According to a statement published by Seiha after the meeting, the two sides discussed the results of cooperation activities this year and the continued implementation of the next year’s cooperation plan, which both sides agreed upon and signed.

He said their shared history and struggles through difficult times had left a legacy of sincere friendship between the two countries. He added that Cambodia and Vietnam were jointly committed to safeguarding this history and tradition, while strengthening cooperation between the parties, governments and peoples of both countries.

He stressed that this cooperation must continue to be strengthened, ensuring that no hostile forces could undermine or divide their longstanding ties.

Seiha also expressed his commitment to further strengthening and expanding the traditional friendship, good-neighbourly relations and defence cooperation between the two nations’ armed forces for the mutual benefit of the peoples of both countries.

He added that both sides aimed to transform their shared border into a zone of peace, friendship and joint development, contributing to the prosperity of both nations.