On the morning of December 12, 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet visited and shared insights with delegates, officials, faculty, and students of Foreign Trade University, during the official visit of the Cambodian Prime Minister to Vietnam.

On December 12, 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet visited and interacted with delegates, officials, faculty, and students of the university during the official visit of the Cambodian Prime Minister on December 11 and 12.

Attending the welcoming ceremony for Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, the delegation also included Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to the Kingdom of Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet; Deputy Head of the Government Office Nguyen Xuan Thanh; Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai, along with leaders of various ministries and agencies.

From Foreign Trade University, there were Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Anh Tuan - Secretary of the Party Committee, President of the university; Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Thu Thuy - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairwoman of the University Council; Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Thu Huong - Vice President; Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Ngoc Tien - Vice President; Heads/Deputy Heads of various units within the university, and representatives of faculty members.

In his welcoming speech, Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Anh Tuan warmly welcomed and expressed honor in welcoming the delegation of the Prime Ministers and the working delegation to Foreign Trade University. The Rector expressed pride in contributing to the high-quality human resource training for the Kingdom of Cambodia, accompanying the sustainable development of the country, and actively contributing to strengthening and developing the relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia. The university has trained numerous students from the Kingdom of Cambodia in programs related to economics, business, trade, ASEAN economic relations, innovative management, and various other fields. The Rector also expressed the desire to continue close cooperation with Cambodian educational institutions, research institutes, and contribute to the development of the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, promoting the self-reliance of young people in both countries.

Foreign Trade University believes that this event will open up new opportunities for sharing, learning, and jointly building new directions for the development of both countries, especially in the field of education and training. It aims to enhance cooperation between the two nations, contributing to the common development of the region and the world.

Sharing with the students and delegates, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh mentioned being inspired by the youthful energy, reviving the enthusiastic student life. The head of the government also emphasized that it was not a coincidence that both Prime Ministers chose Foreign Trade University to interact with students from both countries. This institution has a long tradition, a rich history of achievements, and a unique focus on international trade that everyone aspires to. According to the Prime Minister, Vietnam and Cambodia share the Mekong River, representing close geographical proximity and an inseparable bond. The historical relationship between the two nations has witnessed ups and downs, breakthroughs, but the tradition of the beautiful relationship between the two peoples, with the objective requirements of unity and solidarity, remains.

Expressing his thoughts in his first interaction with students abroad, Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia shared important information on the economic policies of Cambodia as well as the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia. According to Hun Manet, the geographical proximity of Vietnam and Cambodia brings them very close together, inseparable. The history of the two countries is intertwined, supporting each other. Cambodia participated in helping Vietnam in the struggle against colonialism and imperialism. Vietnam assisted Cambodia in overcoming the genocidal regime in 1979, helping restore and build the country. This historical truth needs to be continued to be nurtured. Prime Minister Hun Manet emphasized. This is also the basis for building positive relations between the two countries in the next 20-30 years and many years to come. The head of the Royal Cambodian Government also stated that during this official visit to Vietnam, he had in-depth discussions with high-level leaders to deepen the friendship between the two countries.

Hun Manet also emphasized the viewpoint that "a country depends on its people. If the people do not have health, knowledge, and capacity, the country cannot develop." Therefore, it is necessary to train human resources and promote cooperation between the two countries in economics, tourism, education, etc.

The economic policies of Cambodia are similar to Vietnam in many milestones, such as market-oriented economic development in the 1980s, joining ASEAN and accelerating regional integration in the 1990s, and joining the WTO in the 2000s. Thanks to the win-win policy of former Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia has built a solid foundation for economic development, derived from efforts to modernize the economy, promote and attract FDI, strengthen infrastructure, improve private and business sectors, etc. The country's economy has achieved a sustainable growth rate of about 7% per year. The average income per capita has increased sevenfold, and the poverty rate has decreased to 10% before Covid-19.

Despite facing difficulties and external challenges, according to Prime Minister Hun Manet, Cambodia is determined to achieve its goals and the Vision of Cambodia by 2050. Stability and peace are the fundamental basis. The Royal Cambodian Government has outlined a pentagon strategy with five important priorities and is moving towards a new development phase. Regarding economic cooperation between Cambodia and Vietnam, Prime Minister Hun Manet said that there have been significant steps forward as bilateral trade between the two countries has increased by an average of 25% per year from 2017 to the present. Vietnam has invested a considerable amount in various sectors, creating jobs and contributing to the development of Cambodia. Vietnamese tourists visiting Cambodia also rank second.

"For Cambodia, regional cooperation in the Mekong River basin is extremely meaningful, including hard infrastructure connections such as highways, which have significantly contributed to the economic development of the region. Vietnam is currently one of the leading countries in growth in the region, with many choices in the current economic context. Cambodia has a small market but considers Vietnam an important gateway for its economic development and connection to the global economy," emphasized Prime Minister Hun Manet.

News coverage of the event:
+ Nhan Dan Newspaper
+ Communist Party Electronic Newspaper
+ Deputies' Newspaper
+ Government Newspaper
+ Tien Phong Newspaper
+ Hanoi New Newspaper
+ Education and Times Newspaper
+ News Newspaper
+ Vietnamnet Newspaper
+ Tuoi Tre Newspaper
+ Thanh Nien Newspaper
+ Labor Newspaper
+ People's Army Newspaper
+ Public Security Online Newspaper
+ Dan Tri Newspaper
+ VnExpress Newspaper
+ Soha
+ VTV News
+ VTC News
+ SVVN Online Newspaper
+ Foreign Information Page
Television coverage of the event:
+ VTV1 Vietnam Television Station (News at 7:00 PM on December 12, 2023)
+ News Television
+ National Assembly Television
+ Video report on chinhphu.vn
+ Video Report on Dantri