War memorial dedicated to Vietnam, Cambodia heroes inaugurated

Phnom Penh, December 10 (VNA) – A memorial dedicated to Vietnamese and Cambodian soldiers who died rescuing Cambodia from genocide was inaugurated in Cambodia’s north-eastern province of Stung Treng on December 9. The monument was built on a hill near the provincial centre on a 5,000 sq.m site, featuring Vietnamese and Cambodian soldiers fighting side by side to protect two Cambodian children. Its construction was funded by donations of officers and soldiers of Army Corp 15 under the Vietnam Ministry of National Defence. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence General Tia Banh thanked the Vietnamese Government, army and people for supporting Cambodia during its cause of national independence, construction and development. He hailed the great role of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers in helping the Cambodian people to overthrow the Khmer Rouge regime and fighting alongside the Cambodian army in preventing the return of the genocidal regime in the 1979-1989 period. The official stressed that the Cambodian army will continue to promote cooperation activities with their Vietnamese counterpart for peace and interests of the two peoples. Meanwhile, local authorities and people along the shared border line will further work together to build a borderline of peace, stability and prosperity, he added.-VNA