Hanoi (VNA) – President Nguyen Xuan Phuc departed from Hanoi on the morning of December 21 for a State-level visit to Cambodia on December 21 and 22 at the invitation of Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni.

Phuc’s entourage includes Minister of Public Security General To Lam, Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, among other officials.

This is the first visit to Cambodia by Phuc as President of Vietnam, making him the first high-ranking Vietnamese leader to officially visit Cambodia during the past two years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The visit aims to implement the 13th National Party Congress’s policy for external relations. It takes place in the context that the traditional friendship, solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia continue to develop robustly, despite many impacts of the epidemic.

The two countries have regularly conducted meetings at both high level and lower levels. Even in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, their leaders continue to maintain online contacts.

The State visit to Cambodia of President Phuc is also one of the first events to start a series of activities to celebrate the Vietnam - Cambodia and Cambodia - Vietnam friendship year and the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the countries’ diplomatic relations (June 24, 1967 - 2022).

It is also an opportunity for leaders of the two nations to evaluate the results of bilateral cooperation over the past time; exchange and discuss ways for promoting the ties in the future; and talk about regional and international situations of their mutual interests./.