On Cambodia's lack of independence day, Hoon Xhen's Xmer regime hopes to learn from the communist Vietcong

Ambassador Hul Phany

Cambodia hopes to learn from Viet Nam

November, 09 2011
VNS

Viet Nam News spoke with Cambodian Ambassador to Viet Nam Hul Phany to mark his country's National Day today.

Would you share your impressions about Viet Nam - the land and the people - that you've developed during your second term as ambassador? Have they changed since you were first here?

I was very happy to be assigned this diplomatic task for the second time in Viet Nam. It has been 13 years since I finished my first term, and this time, I am able to see how Viet Nam has changed.

In reality, I cannot believe my eyes or recognise places I used to visit due to so many changes. Small houses have been replaced by buildings and modern hotels. Small roads have been re-built into big concrete highways with long flyovers. There are also more malls and shops selling up-to-date and valuable goods.

The people are now driving different means of transport such as cars and motorbikes. This shows that Viet Nam, under the leadership of the Party and the State, has gained rapid development. I admire and highly appreciate this.

What parts of Viet Nam have you visited? What similarities and differences between Viet Nam and Cambodia have you experienced in your life here?

Over the last year, outside Ha Noi, I have had opportunities to visit and work in other cities and provinces including Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Thai Nguyen, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Quang Ninh. Some of them have important coastlines just like Preah Sihanu in Cambodia, and some are home to many cultural wonders and old pagodas and temples. It is the same in Cambodia because we also have many temples and pagodas, especially the famous Angkor Wat. Other provinces in Viet Nam are rich in agriculture. There are many enormous rice paddy fields, and this shows that people in Viet Nam are contributing to the development of the country, making it one of the world's leading rice exporters.

At the moment, Cambodia's policies are concentrated on planting rice, constructing bridges and roads and building irrigation systems following Viet Nam's example, so we will be able to produce rice for export along with Viet Nam and Thailand.

Viet Nam is lobbying for Ha Long Bay to become one of the seven new wonders of the world. Would you share some experiences in preserving and developing tourism at the same time using Angkor Wat as an example?

I have visited Ha Long Bay on four occasions, and I can see how important it is for tourism, with its beautiful and unique natural characteristics. I agree to vote for Ha Long Bay as a new natural wonder. Many people know of or can see and hear about it through the media. It is the same as Angkor Wat in Cambodia, which was voted as one of the seven wonders of the world in 1992. Its long history and impressive architecture have shown the culture and history of that historical period and become a special point for researchers and tourists to learn about the ancestors of Cambodia. The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism has made efforts to increase the annual number of tourists from across the country, neighbouring countries and worldwide, by opening new air routes to make it easier to access the area.

What are your comments on co-operation between Viet Nam and Cambodia during your post here? What aspects of co-operation should be focused more in the future?

I highly appreciate the friendship and co-operation between Cambodia and Viet Nam so far. The two countries struggled against colonists together for independence of the people and the country. We also share a land border and both use water from Mekong River.

To enhance this special friendship and co-operation, we need to boost exchanges of visiting and working delegations among institutions and among bordering provinces. These could be used to exchange experiences in work and prevent trans-national crimes including drug smuggling and human trafficking.

Viet Nam and Cambodia are supposed to finish all land border demarcation and landmark erection work by 2012 as agreed by our leaders. Do you think this deadline is possible?

The governments of Cambodia and Viet Nam have defined the border between the two countries and the process is scheduled to finish in 2012. I think the two committees in charge have been working hard to get the job done, and so far, things are looking good. I hope the project is a success and meets the aspirations of the two countries' leaders.