Phom Penh: Hundreds of Cambodian people of the Vietnamese origin from all localities of Cambodia, Vietnamese and Khmer businesses of the Vietnamese origin and students, as well as a large number of guests gathered at the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh on January 26 to celebrate the Lunar New Year (Tet), the biggest traditional festival of the Vietnamese people. Addressing the event, Ambassador Nguyen Huy Tang briefed participants on major socio-economic achievements that Vietnam gained last year, including a GDP growth of 5.05% and import-export revenue of 681 billion USD. To date, Vietnam has shared diplomatic relations with 193 countries, and set up strategic or comprehensive strategic partnerships with all five members of the UN Security Council, he noted. The diplomat said that in 2024, Vietnam and Cambodia will strive for a two-way trade value of over 10 billion USD, paving the way for achieving a higher target of 20 billion USD in the future. The ambassador expressed his hope that the Cambodian pe ople of the Vietnamese origin will continue to promote the tradition of solidarity and mutual support, overcoming all difficulties and making contributions to the Vietnam-Cambodia ties. Speaking to Vietnam News Agency, Huynh Minh Phu, Chairman of the Khmer-Vietnam Association in Phnom Penh, said that the event created an exciting atmosphere for all Vietnamese people in Phnom Penh in particular and in Cambodia in general, helping them stay closer to the homeland. Addressing the event, supreme advisor to the Cambodian King, Vice President of the Cambodian People's Party and Chairwoman of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association Samdech Men Sam An underlined the close ties and the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia. The official highlighted efforts of the two countries in completing border demarcation and landmark planting, thus building a shared borderline of peace, stability, cooperation, and development. She also extended New Year greetings to the Vietnamese community in Cambodia. On the occasion, the Vietnamese Embassy presented certificates of merit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the embassy to individuals with outstanding contributions to the community work and the growth of the Vietnam-Cambodia ties On January 27, Viettel Cambodia (Metfone), a subsidiary of the Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) coordinated with the Vietnamese Embassy in Phom Penh and the Khmer-Vietnamese Association in Cambodia to launch a Tet celebration programme for Vietnamese community there, during which 1,075 Tet gifts worth 22,655 USD were offered to the needy from the community across Cambodia./. Source: Vietnam News Agency