A ceremony to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the victory of the southwest border defence war and the joint victory of Vietnam and Cambodia over the Pol Pot genocidal regime (January 7, 1979) was held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 4.

The meeting was organised by the HCM City People’s Committee, HCM City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) and HCM City Vietnam – Cambodia Friendship Association.

Attendees were Truong My Hoa, former vice president of Việt Nam and former Secretary of the Party Central Committee; Le Hong Liem, vice chairman of the Việt Nam-Cambodia Friendship Association; Major General Nguyen Minh Hoang, deputy commissar of Military Zone 7; and Huynh Cach Mang, vice chairman of the city People’s Committee.

Art performance at the event. (Photo: VNF)

The victory of the 1975 Spring General Offensive of the Vietnamese People's Army made a turnaround in the battlefield, giving favorable conditions for the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation to liberate Cambodia from Pol Pot regime and take control of Phnom Penh capital on April 17, 1975.

The liberation of the Phnom Penh capital was a historic victory which had saved Cambodian people from the regime of genocide, leading them to enter a new era of independence, freedom, giving them the chance to start reviving the country.

After eradicating the invasion of the Pol Pot Reaction Group, in response to the demand of the Cambodian revolution, Vietnam had sent volunteer soldiers and officers to assist the Cambodian revolutionary armed forces in liberating the nation from genocide and later restore and develop the country.

Cambodian Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City Im Hen addresses the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

The Cambodian people have never forgotten the valuable assistance of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers in the liberation of their nation from the Pol Pot genocidal regime, said Cambodian Consul General to HCM City Im Hen.

Cambodian people have come to consider January 7 as their second birthday. Without this day, there would have been nothing today, he said.

The official also expressed his deep gratitude to the Vietnamese Party, Government, and ex-voluntary soldiers and experts for supporting the Cambodian nation and people in escaping from the genocidal regime.

The development of Cambodia over the past 40 years could not be separated from the close coordination between the two countries’ parties, states, and people, especially Vietnam’s assistance for Cambodia in the difficult period of the 1980s and 1990s, as well as in the later’s cause of national building and development.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Huynh Cach Mang said Vietnamese voluntary soldiers stood side by side with Cambodian armed forces and people to defeat the Pol Pot gang, liberate Phnom Penh, abolish the genocidal regime, and build a new society for Cambodian people.

January 7, 1979 went down in the history of Cambodia as a milestone of faithful solidarity and special friendship between itself and Vietnam, which helped Cambodia escape from the genocide and enter a new era of independence, freedom, and revival.

It also opened up a new chapter in the neighbourliness between Vietnam and Cambodia, Mang said.

Over the past 40 years, the bilateral traditional friendship has been developed to a new height. Economic cooperation has continuously expanded with two-way trade reaching USD 4.5 billion in 2018 and set to hit USD 5 billion ahead of 2020.

The city’s Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association has established 40 years ago with more than 2,000 members. The Association has implemented practical activities to strengthen the relations between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh in particular and between Vietnam and Cambodia in general./.

VNF