The VWU’s delegation visited and worked in Cambodia

On the afternoon of January 21^st, the official signing ceremony of the Cooperation Agreement and the conferring of the Friendship Medal and Merit Medal to the respective women were held. o­n behalf of the two women’s organizations, Mme. Men Sam An, Standing Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Cambodia and CWPD President, and VWU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, signed the Cooperation Agreement for 2013-2017. Under the agreement, the two Women’s Unions cooperation will focus o­n the following six areas: exchanging information and sharing experiences o­n women and gender equality, raising women’s awareness o­n the friendship between the two countries, directing respective provincial Women’s Unions to strengthen cooperation, exchanging high-level visits, supporting the training of women in Cambodia; and developing tourism cooperation.

The ceremony was also attended by: Mme. Truong My Hoa, former Vice President of State and former VWU President; Mme. Vo Thi Thang, former VWU Vice President and former General Director of Tourism Department; former VWU experts in Cambodia; representatives of several Women’s Unions in southern provinces; Vietnam Women Academy; Peace Tour Company; and several Vietnamese organizations and personnel active in charitable work in Cambodia.

At the ceremony, Mme. Men Sam An awarded the Medal of the Cambodian Royal Government to individuals and collectives representing Vietnam, particularly the VWU through different periods. Authorized by the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, VWU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa awarded the Friendship Medal of Vietnam to two Cambodian women leaders. Ms. Hoa simultaneously awarded a Merit Medal for the development of Vietnamese women -the highest award of the Vietnam Women’s Union -to nine women leaders at all levels of the Cambodian Women for Peace and Development. This recognizes the tremendous contribution of both women’s organizations to the preservation and promotion of solidarity, friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia, and the development of women and gender equality in both countries.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mme. Men Sam An expressed her gratitude to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers helping the Cambodian people to overthrow the genocidal regimeand bringing revival to the people of Cambodia. She also spoke to the invaluable help of Vietnamese women who sacrificed their lives themselves or contributed to the effort by sending their children to join the volunteer army and to Vietnamese experts sent to help Cambodia.

In her speech, President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa expressed her pride in the solidarity, friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. She reviewed the development of partnerships between the two women's organizations nurtured by many generations of women leaders. She articulated her hope that the women’s organizations of the two countries will successfully implement the Cooperation Agreement, contributing to bringing the relationship between the two womens to a new level.

On the morning of January 22^nd, the Vietnam Women's Union delegation and leaders of the Cambodian Women for Peace and Development had a meeting, exchanged experiences, and discussed further opportunities for cooperation in the future. The experience of the VWUin the field of credit and savings can be of good use to Cambodia. Based o­n previous results of collaboration, the Cambodian women hope to continue receiving support from the VWU in training women staff, especially the young . The VWU is also looking forward to learn more from Cambodia’s experiences in promoting women’s leadership (all provinces of Cambodia have female leaders).

While in Cambodia, the Vietnam Women's Union delegation also had a meeting with Mr. Tep Ngorn, Second Vice President of the Cambodian Senate. The delegation visited and worked with local leaders and the Cambodian Women for Peace and Development at all levels. The visit took place in an atmosphere of friendship between the women of Cambodia and Vietnam, and opened up new prospects for cooperation in the future.

The Vietnam Women's Union and the Cambodian Women for Peace and Development have the friendship relations from the 1980s and have continued to strengthen their relationship by signing a Cooperation Agreement for 2004-2006, 2009-2012 and 2013-2017.

In response to the Cambodian and Vietnamese Friendship Year in 2012, the two Women’s Unions have engaged in active cooperation in various fields. The Vietnam Women's Union supported the Cambodian Women for Peace and Development by providing short-term training sessions for women leaders in Cambodia, as part of a two-year (2011-2012) training. The “Promoting friendly relations between Vietnam and Cambodia” workshop held in August 2012 in Ho Chi Minh city, with the participation of both the central and provincial level Unions, was an opportunity for the two sides to exchange information and learn from the experiences of past cooperation activities. At the workshop, both parties discussed and agreed to the contents of the agreement for 2013-2017. The provincial Women's Unions of Vietnam communicated to staff and women members o­n the Party and State policy o­n cooperation with Cambodia; the Year of Friendship and Solidarity; Agreements and Border Regulations. Specifically, Women’s Unions in the provinces bordering the two countries actively carry out communication and participate in the fight against trafficking in women and children, the maintenance of security and order as to build a border of peace, stability, and development.

                         VWU International Relations Dept.