Cambodian students celebrate Chol Chnam Thmay in Hanoi (photo by Manh Cuong)

(VOVworld) - Cambodian students in Hanoi on Friday celebrated their traditional New Year Festival of Chol Chnam Thmay. The event was attended by Chairman of the Vietnam – Cambodia Friendship Association Vu Mao and representatives of Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training, and the Hanoi University of Technology. So Vuthy, a Cambodian fourth year student of Hanoi University of Pharmacy says 'I have enjoyed our traditional New Year Festival in Vietnam for 5 years since I started to study here. We often hold get-together to increase solidarity. The festive program is similar to that in our homeland'.

Addressing the ceremony, Vu Mao expressed his thanks to representatives of Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training, and sponsors who have helped Cambodian students to celebrate a warm festival 'The celebration is significant featuring the friendship between the two countries. I hope these students will be good and core cadres to build Cambodia and develop the friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia'.

About 550 Cambodians are studying in Vietnam’s universities this year, and about one fifth of them have scholarships.