On the afternoon of October 13, at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang chaired the official welcome ceremony for General Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Cambodia.
Speaking at the talks following the welcome ceremony, General Phan Van Giang emphasized that from the beginning of 2026 to date, senior leaders of the two countries have conducted visits and meetings to orient bilateral cooperation. These efforts have affirmed the top priority given to Vietnam-Cambodia relations, strengthening defense and security cooperation while promoting trade, investment, infrastructure connectivity, education and training cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and leveraging the complementary nature of the two economies.
General Phan Van Giang affirmed that along with the continuous development of bilateral relations, defense cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia continues to achieve comprehensive, increasingly substantive, and effective results, standing as one of the important pillars in bilateral relations. Contents outlined in the 2026 Cooperation Plan have been effectively implemented through joint coordination.
General Phan Van Giang requested that in the coming time, agencies and units of the two Ministries of National Defense actively and proactively coordinate to implement agreed cooperation contents.
Focus will be placed on political and ideological education cooperation to strengthen political trust; searching for, gathering, and repatriating the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Cambodia during war periods; maintaining high-level and all-level meetings; fostering cooperation between military services and arms; enhancing joint management and protection of the border to build a peaceful, cooperative, and developing Vietnam-Cambodia border; strengthening consultation and mutual support at multilateral forums; and promoting cooperation among the militaries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
During the talks, General Tea Seiha emphasized that cooperation between Cambodia and Vietnam is a long-standing traditional friendship, while expressing delight at the positive cooperation results and new strides in bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
General Tea Seiha affirmed that this official visit and working session in Vietnam offer an opportunity for both sides to exchange views and further deepen bilateral defense relations, contributing to promoting the traditional friendly neighborhood, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainable relationship between the two nations.
General Tea Seiha proposed that in the coming time, both sides continue coordinating to execute agreed cooperation contents, focusing on delegation exchanges, training, and land and sea border management, thereby contributing to consolidating defense cooperation as one of the key pillars of Vietnam-Cambodia relations.
Following the talks, the Deputy Prime Ministers and Defense Ministers of the two countries signed the 2027 Vietnam-Cambodia Defense Cooperation Plan.
As 2027 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, General Phan Van Giang proposed that both sides coordinate to develop plans for anniversary activities organized by the Ministries of National Defense and militaries of both nations, ensuring widespread impact regarding the solidary and friendly relationship between the two countries across agencies and units on both sides.
General Phan Van Giang and General Tea Seiha, together with the defense delegations of both countries, at the welcoming ceremony.
