Vietnam and Thailand look to upgrade their enhanced strategic partnership

Both host and guest took note of the positive development of relations between the two countries, including in the fields of politics, defense-security, trade, investment, economy, culture, education and people-to-people exchanges.

Thailand is currently Vietnam’s largest trading partner in ASEAN with their two-way turnover last year reaching a record high of nearly US$22 billion. It is also Vietnam’s second largest investor, pouring about US$14 billion into the neighbouring country.

The two leaders said Vietnam and Thailand strive to soon bring their two-way trade turnover to US$25 billion towards a more balanced direction. They should facilitate and reduce trade barriers, and create a favourable environment for businesses of the two countries to expand investment and operations.

To this end, they concurred that the two sides should maintain a regular exchange of high-level visits, stressing the important role of the two countries’ legislative bodies in increasing trust and fostering cooperation in all areas.

They held that both sides should create a favorable legal corridor for successfully deploying their ‘Three Connections’ strategy, focusing on connections of new supply chains, businesses and localities, and infrastructure.    

They agreed to strengthen cooperation in addressing global challenges, such as climate change response, environmental protection, health and disease prevention.

The two sides also vowed to promote cooperation in other important fields, including defense-security, maritime, education-training, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, along with the teaching of Thai and Vietnamese languages in each country.

Hue highly appreciated Thailand’s support for the establishment of the Vietnam Town and a Vietnamese studies center in Udon Thani province. He expressed hope that Thailand would continue to support the Vietnamese community, Vietnamese associations’ activities, and preservation of Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh’s vestiges in Thailand.

Exchanging views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, the two legislative leaders said both sides would continue to strengthen consultation and close coordination at regional and international forums; promote solidarity and the central role of ASEAN in regional issues; and coordinate management and sustainable use of the Mekong River water resources. They also reaffirmed the importance of maintaining ASEAN’s solidarity and its common stance on the East Sea issue.

After the talks, the two leaders signed and witnessed the signing and exchange of two cooperation documents - a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the House of Representatives of Thailand, and a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Office of the National Assembly of Vietnam and the Secretariat of the House of Representatives of Thailand.

They later planted trees brought from Vietnam on the premises of the Thai Parliament Building.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue arrived in Bangkok on December 7, beginning a four-day official visit to Thailand at the invitation of Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand Wan Muhamad Noor Matha.