Joining the reception included Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vũ Chiến Thắng and Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs (GCRA) Vũ Hoài Bắc.

Welcoming the Cambodian delegation, Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà informed socio-economic development of Vietnam in the first six months of 2024. She also thanked high-ranking Cambodia leaders for attending the state funeral of General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng and sharing with the great loss of the Vietnamese people.

The Minister emphasized the fine traditional friendship, closeness and familiarities between the two nations in general and between the Buddhism in Vietnam and Cambodia in particular. Therefore, the two sides could share experiences in building national unity, creating favorable conditions for all people to exercise the right to freedom of belief and religion and training professional skills on religious affairs, she stressed.

Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà also highly appreciated the outcomes of cooperation in religious affairs between the Vietnam’s GCRA and the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religion, especially in delegation exchanges for sharing of experiences in State management of religion  and facilitations,  for exchanges and collaboration between the two countries’ Buddhist Sangha, contributing to strengthen the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.   

Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà presents souvenir to Cambodian Minister Chay Borin

For his part, Cambodian Minister Chay Borin thanked the Ministry of Home Affairs and the GCRA for a warm welcome and hospitality extended to the visiting delegation. He also extended the deepest condolences to the Party, the Government and people of Vietnam the passing of the General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng.

Agreeing with Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà, the Cambodian Minister highlighted the cooperation activities of the two sides, contributing to strengthen the good relations between the two countries. He expressed that many visits of high – ranking leaders of the two countries, especially President Tô Lâm’s state visit to Cambodia recently and Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet to Vietnam in December 11, 2023, have demonstrated the good neighborly relations, time-honored friendship, and comprehensive and long-term sustainable cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.

He stated that the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religion would continue to closely coordinate and promote the efficiency of cooperation activities within the framework of the agreement in religious affairs for the 2022-2026 period between the Ministry of Cults and Religion and the GCRA signed in Ho Chi Minh city on November 21, 2022.

Cambodian Minister Chay Borin hands over token gift to Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà

Anh Khôi