Speaking at the event, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Nam, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association, emphasized that Vietnam and Cambodia are close neighboring countries with a longstanding tradition of friendship. The two countries have consistently stood together and supported each other in their struggles for national liberation, as well as in national construction and development. Bilateral ties have continued to be strengthened through cooperation in politics, diplomacy, economics, and culture, alongside people-to-people exchanges.
In 2026, senior leaders of the two countries have conducted numerous visits, meetings, and exchanges to further strengthen bilateral cooperation. Economic and trade ties have also continued to expand.
According to Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Nam, bilateral trade reached approximately US$8.67 billion in the first eight months of 2026, with Vietnam's exports to Cambodia totaling US$4.26 billion and imports reaching US$4.38 billion.
Alongside efforts to promote economic cooperation, the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association has carried out a range of practical activities to foster solidarity between the two peoples. The association coordinated a ceremony marking the 47th anniversary of the January 7, 1979 Victory, which welcomed more than 150 Cambodian delegates and students. It also organized celebrations of the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay New Year 2026 at Pho Minh Pagoda and awarded scholarships worth a total of VND216 million (US$8,500) to 12 disadvantaged Cambodian students.
In October, the association joined volunteer doctors in organizing a social outreach mission in Prek Pnov District, Phnom Penh, providing medical examinations, medicines, and gifts to more than 2,000 disadvantaged residents. The assistance was valued at nearly VND2 billion. The association's total charitable contributions over the first 10 months of 2026 exceeded VND6 billion.
Cambodian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Luon Bunvadh said that in June, the Consulate General, the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association at the central level, and Vietnamese businesses jointly organized the Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos Business Forum in Ho Chi Minh City. The event brought together a delegation from Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Cambodian investors to promote economic and trade cooperation, an important pillar in strengthening ties among the three countries.
Mr. Luon Bunvadh affirmed that the Consulate General would continue working with the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association to nurture the longstanding friendship between the two countries while supporting efforts to further expand economic, trade, and investment cooperation.
On the occasion, on behalf of the Phnom Penh Capital Administration, Cambodian Consul General Luon Bunvadh presented a Certificate of Merit from the capital to the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association in recognition of its support for providing 2,000 medical examinations in Phnom Penh.
