Vietnamese President To Lam is set to pay a two-day state visit to Cambodia this week from July 12-13 at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated that during his visit, Lam will meet with the King and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk at the Royal Palace.

The July 10 statement stated that the Vietnamese president is scheduled to meet Senate president Hun Sen, National Assembly (NA) president Khuon Sudary, Prime Minister Hun Manet and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association president Men Sam An.

“The meetings are expected to cover cooperation under bilateral and multilateral frameworks based on the spirit of good neighbourliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation for the mutual benefit of the two peoples,” it said. 

Lam is set to lay a wreath at the Independence Monument, the Royal Memorial Statue of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk and the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument.

Thong Mengdavid, a lecturer at the Royal University of Phnom Penh’s Institute for International Studies, said Vietnam still considers Cambodia a priority country in its foreign policy in the context of geopolitical changes, adding that Lam’s state visit will focus on enhancing ties and strengthening political, economic and security cooperation between the two nations.

“The two countries are negotiating the remaining border matters and expanding cooperation and security mechanisms along the border.

“For the economic sector, Cambodia and Vietnam should increase cooperation in key areas such as agriculture, production, infrastructure,​ digital, agriculture, health development and education.

“All these points will boost trade activities, increase the imports and exports of the two countries, as well as ensure development and harmony at the border,” he told The Post on July 10. 

Mengdavid explained that while Cambodia is under foreign political pressure, Vietnam can share and promote cooperation in research, military and the study of public development policy through scholarships and joint research between institutions or educational and research institutes of the two countries.

Lam, former Vietnamese public security minister, was elected president by the Vietnamese NA in May. He succeeded former President Vo Van Thuong, who resigned in March after a year in office.

In late 2023, Manet paid a two-day official visit to Vietnam to further strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation in various fields for the mutual benefit of the two peoples.

In late 2021, former Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid a two-day state visit to Cambodia to strengthen and deepen bilateral ties.