Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – On the morning of December 8, 2025, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet held talks during the opening ceremony of the Xin Nan International Border Crossing in Tay Ninh Province – Meun Chey International Border Crossing in Borisov Province. They reviewed bilateral cooperation achievements and finalized key measures for deepening future cooperation.
The talks were conducted in a friendly atmosphere. Pham Minh Chinh congratulated Hun Manet on Cambodia's development achievements under his leadership and conveyed greetings and best wishes from Vietnamese leaders, including General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam. Hun Manet highly praised Vietnam's development achievements, wished the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam a complete success, and extended his condolences to the Vietnamese people regarding the floods in central and southern Vietnam.
Both sides affirmed the achievements of cooperation in 2025: political mutual trust was continuously strengthened, and the conclusions of several inter-party meetings were implemented; mechanisms such as the 13th Border Provinces Cooperation and Development Conference proved effective; and the trilateral defense ministers' meeting between Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam deepened and solidified defense and security cooperation. Bilateral trade and economic relations showed strong performance, with bilateral trade reaching US$10.4 billion in the first 11 months, a year-on-year increase of 12.7%, and is expected to exceed US$12 billion for the whole year. Vietnam remains Cambodia's third-largest trading partner and the largest trading partner within ASEAN, with both countries serving as important investment destinations for each other. Positive progress was also made in border cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.
Regarding the newly opened cross-border ports, the leaders of both countries emphasized their importance in promoting connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, and agreed to continuously improve the port system and upgrade cross-border transportation infrastructure. Both sides also clarified their commitment to strengthening border security management, preventing cross-border crime and smuggling activities, and to signing relevant agreements on port and border management systems as soon as possible to facilitate border trade.
Looking ahead, both sides finalized several key areas of cooperation: deepening high-level exchanges and mutual visits at all levels; consolidating defense and security cooperation; combating cross-border crime and telecommunications fraud; and safeguarding common security interests. They will focus on economic breakthroughs, promoting the digital economy, infrastructure connectivity and policy alignment, accelerating the construction of transportation and logistics facilities, and striving to achieve the $20 billion bilateral trade target as soon as possible. They will also carry forward the tradition of friendship, promote the history of unity to the younger generation, innovate forms of people-to-people exchanges, and Vietnam will increase the number of scholarships to Cambodia to support human resource development.
On the border issue, both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining a peaceful and stable border, and will properly handle border affairs, protect the border environment, and advance the demarcation and marker-laying work on the remaining approximately 16% of the land border. Pham Minh Chinh also suggested that Cambodia pay attention to the legal status of Vietnamese people in Cambodia and help them live in peace.
Regarding the tense situation on the Cambodian-Thai border, Pham Minh Chinh stated that Vietnam will play a constructive role in a peaceful resolution and called on both sides to exercise restraint and resolve differences through dialogue to maintain regional peace and stability and ASEAN unity. (End)
