VN to help fight AIDS in Cambodia

22-09-2009)

Phnom Penh — Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong has assured Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that Viet Nam was willing to share its experiences in drug prevention and HIV/AIDS control with Cambodia.

Trong was received by PM Hun Sen yesterday during his trip to Cambodia to increase bilateral ties and to discuss HIV/AIDS prevention and drug abuse.

The Vietnamese government has been conducting a nation-wide campaign to implement prevention and containment of drugs and HIV/AIDS at all levels, said Trong, who is also Chairman of Viet Nam’s National Committee for AIDS, Drugs and Prostitute Prevention.

"As a result, initial and important achievements have been made, including the decrease in the numbers of drug addicts and HIV carriers in communities," he said.

Both men agreed that preventing drug addiction and controlling HIV/AIDS was a difficult, complicated and time-consuming task. They also concurred that if the task was not carried out effectively, then these problems would badly affect the economic development and social order of each country.

PM Hun Sen wanted Viet Nam to help Cambodia build detoxification centres, train personnel and strengthen co-operation between the countries’ security forces to help combat transnational drug smugglers.

Regarding bilateral economic co-operation, deputy PM Trong said he hoped the Cambodian government would continue to facilitate Vietnamese investors’ search for opportunities and the implementation of long-term projects in finance, banking, energy, infrastructure development in Cambodia.

Also yesterday, Trong and his entourage paid floral tributes to the Independence Monument and the Monument to the Vietnamese volunteers in Cambodia. — VNS

Posted in: Khmer News