Phnom Penh (VNA) – The Consulate General of Vietnam in Preah Sihanouk province, Cambodia, held a ceremony on August 28 to celebrate the 79th National Day of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 - 2024).

Consul General Lai Xuan Chien recalled the historic event that President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence proclaming the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945, and highlighted efforts of the Vietnamese people in fighting and working to defend the independence, and building an unprecedented stature in the history of the nation as seen today, and in pursuing the goal of a prosperous people, a strong country, democracy, justice and civilization.

The diplomat said with the country’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, diversification and multilateralisation, and international integration, Vietnam continues to achieve many prideworthy accomplishments in foreign affairs, and its position in the region and the world is increasingly elevated.

Chien also highlighted the strong development of the Vietnam – Cambodia relations, saying that positive outcomes of recent visits between high-ranking leaders of the two countries have demonstrated that the bilateral relations have been increasingly strengthened and robustly developed under the motto of good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability.

Highly valuing the comprehensive development achievements of the Vietnamese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Governor Mang affirmed that Cambodia always remembers the sacrifices by the Vietnamese army and people for the cause of liberating the Cambodian people from the genocidal regime in the 1970s and 1980s.

The relationship between the two countries is constantly being strengthened, in which Preah Sihanouk continues to closely cooperate with the Mekong Delta provinces of Kien Giang and Bac Lieu, and northern Hai Phong city of Vietnam, he said.

On the same day, a delegation from the Lao Embassy in Cambodia led by Ambassador Buakeo Phumvongsay visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh to extend their greetings on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day.

The diplomats agreed to further strengthen close cooperation between the two embassies, regularly organise people-to-people exchange programmes to further tighten the friendship, contributing to intensifying the Vietnam-Laos special friendship.

Lao Ambassador to Belgium Kingphokeo Phommahaxay on August 28 visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Brussels to extend his greetings, emphasising that the traditional friendship and special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos is being strengthened and developed, becoming a model symbol of international solidarity and friendship.

He showed his desire to further foster the special relationship between the two countries across all areas, including economic, cultural, educational, and defence - security cooperation.

For h𒆙is part, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Van Thao emphasised the importance of enhancing exchanges and cooperation between the two embassies, saying that those contribute to tightening the friendship and special cooperation between Vietnam and Laos./.