Ambassador Chay Navuth and SBV Standing Deputy Governor Dao Minh Tu present Cambodian Royal Order to SBV staff. (Photo: VGP)

On March 25, in Hanoi, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) held a ceremony to award the Royal Order of Sahametrei class 5, the certificate of merit from the Royal Government of Cambodia and the National Bank of Cambodia to cadres of SBV who had been sent to help the Cambodian banking sector in 1979-1989.

On behalf of the Cambodian Government and people, Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Chay Navuth expressed his deep gratitude to the Government and people of Vietnam, especially the Vietnamese experts who were appointed to help Cambodia in the struggle for national liberation and in national development after the war.

“In difficult circumstances, the Vietnamese Government and people shared their limited human resources to help the Cambodian people who were facing many difficulties at that time,” he said.

In particular, the SBV sent a delegation of short-term and long-term experts to help build the National Bank of Cambodia, as well as the banking system throughout Cambodia. The Vietnamese experts helped to train human resources - the key and most important factor in the development of the banking sector. Not only that, the SBV shared its equipment for the National Bank of Cambodia to use in the working process.

“The help of SBV's experts in difficult times was of great significance, nothing can be compared,” said Ambassador Chay Navuth, adding that it is thanks to the on-premise help of the experts from the SBV that the National Bank of Cambodia has achieved its current results.

According to Ambassador Chay Navuth, granting the Order of Sahametrei class 5 to 33 officials and experts showed Cambodia’s deep appreciation for Vietnam’s physical, spiritual and intellectual efforts for Cambodia in its restoration and re-establishment of the Cambodian banking system from the 80s up to now.

SBV Governor Nguyen Thi Hong said that, following the policy of the Party and Government, despite knowing to face many difficulties and dangers, in February 1979, only 1 month after Cambodia was liberated, the first Vietnamese banking expert-led delegation came to Phnom Penh to help Cambodia issue new money and rebuild the Cambodian banking industry.

“Nearly 500 bank officers worked urgently, regardless of day and night, to quickly rebuild the banking industry from scratch,” she added. “Their dedication and lofty sacrifices helped the Cambodian banking system quickly revive and achieve outstanding results.”

She pledged that the SBV staff would continuously maintain and nurture the close relationship of cooperation and friendship with the National Bank of Cambodia through external activities, exchanges and annual support, making an important contribution to consolidating and strengthening the solidarity and friendly cooperation between the two countries./.

Compiled by BTA