Declaration By North Vietnam

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32251, 20 March 1970, Page 15

Declaration By North Vietnam

(K.2. Press Association—Copyright)

TOKYO, March 19.

North Vietnam has declared her readiness to settle “all problems of mutual concern” with Cambodia, but the declaration was probably made before the overthrow of Prince Sihanouk.

Radio Vietnam reported the declaration in a commentary denying reports that a battle

had taken place between Cambodian and North Vietnamese battalions.

The Vietnam News Agency in Hanoi distributed the Radio Vietnam commentary today without saying when it was made, but its failure to refer to the coup d’etat in Cambodia suggested that it was before the crisis. The overthrow of Prince; Sihanouk came after violent demonstrations against the presence of about 40,000 Viet; Cong and North Vietnamese 1 troops in Cambodia. “More than ever before,”! Radio Vietnam said, “the Viet-’ namese and Cambodian; peoples must unite closely to-1 gether to fight against the! United States imperialist aggressors. On that basis, all problems of mutual concern can be settled in the spirit of fraternal friendship and mutual respect and support.” The news agency also distributed the text of the March 16 communique issued in Moscow in connection with Prince Sihanouk’s visit. It contained this final paragraph: “The Soviet Government reaffirms respect for the neutrality and territorial integrity of Cambodia in her present frontiers and declares that Cambodia can in the future, too, rely on the maximum support of the Soviet Union in her struggle against the imperialists’ provocations for the maintenance of her neutrality, and the guarantee of her territorial integrity and sovereignty.”