Phnom Penh (VNA) – President To Lam had a meeting with Chairwoman of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association Samdech Men Sam An on July 13 as part of his state visit to the neighbouring country.

Men Sam An expressed her deep gratitude to Vietnamese friends for their wholeheartedly support for the Cambodian people to escape from the Pol Pot genocidal regime.

She highlighted the fraternity and neighbourliness with many factors that cannot separate the strategic and traditional friendship between the peoples of Vietnam and Cambodia. She also committed to collaborating with the association's other leaders to further promote the friendship, solidarity, and people-to-people exchange, aiming to protect and preserve the friendly relationship between the two peoples.

For his part, President Lam appreciated Men Sam An's contribution in cultivating the friendship between the two countries, emphasising that the cooperation between the two countries has been continuously strengthened and developed in recent times with their senior leaders maintaining regular contacts and exchanges and bilateral cooperation mechanisms further proving effective.

The two sides have cooperated closely within multilateral and sub-regional frameworks, contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and the world, he said.

The President hoped that with her deep sentiments towards the country and people of Vietnam, Men Sam An, no longer a cabinet member, will continue to make positive contributions to fostering the friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

He asked the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association to step up people-to-people friendly exchanges, especially between the youth, as well as strengthen education and communication work so that people from all walks of life, particularly the young, of the two countries have a deep understanding of the importance in and responsibility for further preserving and cultivating the bilateral relations.

The President suggested that the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association and the Cambodia - Vietnam Friendship Association continue to coordinate to promote and replicate the friendship incubation movement that they have been implementing.

He expressed his hope that Men Sam An and other leaders of her association will support the removal of difficulties for people of Vietnamese origin in Cambodia, especially in legal documents, helping them stabilise their lives and integrate into the local community.

They should support and crܫeate favourable conditions for Vie𓃲tnamese investors and enterprises doing business in Cambodia, he said./.