PM’s visit marks milestone in Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership

Vietnam and Thailand agreed to bolster their strategic partnership in all fields, with specific directions for practical cooperation on politics, security, defence and the economy. 

In terms of politics, the two sides decided to increase delegation exchanges at all levels, especially among high-ranking officials; to implement the action plan to realise the Vietnam-Thailand Strategic Partnership in the 2014-2018 period in an effective manner; and to improve the quality of the bilateral cooperation mechanism, Trung said. 

Regarding security and defence cooperation, the two countries will establish a joint security committee and a joint working group to address illegal fishing. They agreed not to allow any individual or organisation to use the territory of one country to conduct activities directed against the other. 

With regard to economic ties, the two countries aim to increase the value of bilateral trade to US$20 billion by 2020. Thailand is one of Vietnam’s biggest trade partners out of the ASEAN member nations and has numerous investment projects in 30 Vietnamese provinces, including major projects in Binh Dinh, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces. 

The PMs also agreed to enhance cooperation in other realms, such as agriculture, science and technology, culture, tourism, social affairs and labour. 

Regarding regional and international issues, the PMs agreed to strengthen cooperation in multilateral forums, such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the United Nations, while supporting each other in the negotiations and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement. 

PM Dung and PM Chan-ocha discussed and shared their interests in the sustainable and effective use of water resources in the Mekong River. 

The two leaders reiterated the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, as well as resolving any disputes in compliance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and promoting the central role of ASEAN in addressing regional and international issues. 

Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung expressed his firm belief that, based on the good results of the visit and achievements in bilateral cooperation, the Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership would continue to thrive in the years to come, benefitting the two peoples, as well as contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and beyond.