Metfone, an affiliate of the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group, is a typical model for the economic cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia, President To Lam affirmed on July 13 when visiting the leading mobile operator in Cambodia as part of his state visit to the neighbouring country.

President To Lam visits Metfone, an affiliate of the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group, in Cambodia. (Photo: VNA)

The President appreciated the results that Metfone has achieved during its 15-year presence in the Cambodian market.

In addition to its dynamic business operations, Metfone has won the hearts of the Cambodian people through its social security activities in Cambodia, Lam stressed.

He praised the company's policy of accompanying the Cambodian Government in implementing e-Government when universalising telecommunications services and pioneering in supporting digital transformation in Cambodian Government, ministries and agencies.

The President hoped that Metfone will maintain its position as a leading enterprise in the fields of telecommunications, technology, and digital transformation in Cambodia, and actively support the Vietnamese business community here.

Viettel began to invest in Cambodia in 2006 and cooperated with a Cambodian partner to launched Metfone in 2009. Now it is one of the five biggest companies in terms of tax payment in Cambodia and creates around 30,000 indirect jobs.

Earlier the same day, the Vietnamese President attended a ceremony to announce Vietnam Airlines’ direct flight linking Hanoi and Phnom Penh.

The direct route will be launched on October 27 with four round-trip flights per week. Currently, passengers who want to fly from Hanoi to Phnom Penh must transit in Vientiane (Laos) on the airline's trans-Indochina flight.

President To Lam ( central) and delegates launch Vietnam Airlines’ direct route from Hanoi to Phnom Penh in Pnom Penh on July 13. (Photo: VNA)

President To Lam also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Vietnam Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air on strengthening and expanding bilateral cooperation, with the goal of providing aviation services with the highest quality standards on routes between Vietnam and Cambodia; and another between Vietnam Airlines, Saigon Tourist Group, Cambodia Tourism Association (CATA) and Cambodia Angkor Air on tourism cooperation.