Webinar marks 45 years of Vietnam-Thailand diplomacy

Presentations largely focused on topics relating to mutual co-operation across a range of fields, including politics, security, the economy, trade, investment, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh affirmed that bilateral relations have been continuously developing in a number of sectors in recent times, including national defense, security, trade, investment, and tourism, recording remarkable achievements.

Both sides first established a strategic partnership back in 2013 and elevated their relationship to an enhanced strategic partnership in 2019.

They have successfully maintained regular exchanges of high-level visits and consultations by bringing into full play existing bilateral mechanisms, such as the political consultative group, the joint committee on bilateral co-operation, and holding joint cabinet meetings.

Kavi Chongkittavorn, a senior research fellow at the Thai Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS Thailand), noted that both sides play an important role in Southeast Asia as they  strive to achieve greater stability and peace in the region.

According to the expert, the two countries are closely working together in the negotiation process on the Code of Conduct in order to settle sea-related disputes in the South China Sea, commonly known as the East Sea in Vietnam.

Amid continued difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, two-way trade turnover between the two nations last year reached US$16 billion.

Thailand represents one of the top 10 foreign investors in the Vietnamese market with over US$12.3 billion in investment value. It is currently the country’s largest trading partner in ASEAN, and the two countries have set a target of raising bilateral trade to US$25 billion by 2025.

With regard to regional and global security, speakers suggested that both sides continue to work closely alongside other regional countries to maintain peace, stability, and security in the East Sea. In addition, they should work towards resolving differences and disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The webinar was jointly hosted by the Thai Institute of Security and International Studies of Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.