Thai PM underlines significance of Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership

Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (L) pays a courtesy visit to Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha.

On January 25, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh paid a courtesy visit to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha within the framework of the third meeting of the Vietnam-Thailand Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation.

The Thai PM described the committee as a mechanism of top importance for promoting bilateral ties.

Minh thanked the Thai Government and people for offering favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country to integrate into the local society, serving as a bridge further tightening bilateral friendship.

Earlier on January 24-25 in Thailand, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai co-chaired the third meeting of the Vietnam-Thailand Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation.

They compared notes on the current partnership between the two countries across a variet of fields of politics, defence-security, economy, trade and investment, justice, transport, energy, agro-forestry-fishery, education-training, labour, science-technology, information technology, culture, sports, tourism, people-to-people exchange, as well as regional and international cooperation.

They also discussed a host of specific measures to promote all-around cooperation between the two sides in the future.

The two diplomats showed their elation at the growth of the enhanced Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership over the years and extolled the effective collaboration between ministries, sectors, and localities in carrying out the action program on bilateral strategic partnership for 2014-2018. They consented to work closely to soon finalize and sign a program for the next period.

They noted with satisfaction the more trusting and practical bilateral ties in politics, external relations, defence, and security, as shown by the regular exchange visits and meetings among senior leaders of both sides as well as via the efficiency of cooperation mechanisms such as the Joint Cabinet Meeting, the Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation, the Defence Policy Dialogue, the Joint Working Group in politics-security affiliation, and joint sea patrols.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (L) and Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai.

The two sides agreed to coordinate in organizing the fourth meeting in Vietnam, which is to be co-hosted by the Vietnamese and Thai Prime Ministers. They underlined the need to further deepen mutual understanding and trust, as well as create motivation for the growth of bilateral relations.

Both sides consented to create optimal conditions for businesses to solidify their partnership towards raising bilateral trade to US$20 billion in 2020 with a more balanced and sustainable orientation.

They pledged to facilitate the import-export of agricultural products, especially fruit, and intensify the sharing of experience in rice research, production, and exporting.

The two countries underscored the significance of cooperation for sub-regional connection, especially in road, waterway, and aviation transport connectivity between Vietnam and Thailand, as well as ASEAN countries.

Vietnam praised the Thai Government’s agreement to expand the occupational areas for granting work permits to Vietnamese workers in Thailand and the implementation of the scheme.

They vowed to further augment cultural and education cooperation as well as people-to-people exchange, including the strengthening of teaching Vietnamese and Thai languages in each country, while pledging to support the activities of the Vietnam-Thailand and Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Associations.

Both sides expressed delight at their bilateral coordination at regional and international forums, especially within the framework of the ASEAN, the UN, and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms.

Thailand and Vietnam, as the respective ASEAN Chairs in 2019 and 2020, will work with other members to enhance ASEAN’s central role in regional common matters, including the East Sea issue.

They underlined the strategic importance of ensuring maritime and aviation security and safety in the East Sea, as well as the peaceful settlement of disputes and the practice of restraint.

They stressed the necessity of neither complicating the situation nor conducting militarization, respecting international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS), fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and working towards the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in a practical and effective manner.