Hanoi (VNA) – Cambodia’s Royal Order of Sahametrei-Mahasena (Grand Officer) was posthumouslypresented to former Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Ngo Dien during aceremony held at the Cambodian Embassy in Hanoi on August 28.
The distinction was meant to honour the former Ambassador’scontributions to Cambodia’s construction and development process, as well as bilateral tiesbetween the Governments and people of Vietnam and Cambodia.
Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dunglauded the significance of the awarding of the Order on the occasion of the former Ambassador’s99th birth anniversary and the 75th anniversary of the Vietnam’sdiplomatic sector.
As Vietnam’s second Ambassador to Cambodia, Dien had the longesttenure in the country with 12 years of working. Earlier, he worked as ajournalist and the first representative of the Vietnam News Agency for over sixyears and served as a veteran expert and deputy head of the B68 committee.
During more than 18 years of working in Cambodia, he madeimportant contributions to Cambodia’s diplomatic sector in difficult times whenthe country escaped from the genocidal regime, laying a solid foundation forthe bilateral friendship and cooperation.
Dung described the event as a vividmanifestation of traditional friendship and cooperation between the twonations, and a tribute to the former Ambassador together with tens of thousandsof Vietnamese officials, experts and voluntary soldiers who laid down their livesfor Cambodia’s revival and everlasting ties between the two countries.
He affirmed that the former Ambassador and his contributions willbe forever remembered by generations of Vietnamese diplomats.
Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Chay Navuth handed over the Order to a representative of the late Ambassador's family.
He spoke highly of Dien's important contributions to Cambodia's revolutionary cause and Cambodia-Vietnam relations.
The Order was posthumously presented the late Ambassador in recognition of his contributions to the cause of national revival, reconstruction and development of Cambodia as well as the fine solidarity and friendship between the two nations, he said./.