Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung on October 3, held phone talks with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, their first discussion since Sihasak’s appointment on September 19.

Thanking Trung for his congratulatory letter, Sihasak affirmed that Vietnam is a key partner of Thailand in the region and expressed his commitment to deepening cooperation between the two ministries, thereby advancing the Vietnam-Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Trung congratulated Sihasak again on his new role and expressed his pleasure at the increasingly deep and substantive development of bilateral relations, grounded in mutual respect, trust, and benefit. He proposed that the two sides continue working closely to carry out the outcomes of the 4th Vietnam–Thailand Joint Cabinet Meeting, particularly by swiftly formulating an action programme for realising the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 2026–2030 period.

They agreed to strengthen coordination in preparing for all-level visits and exchanges in the near future, especially in the context of the upcoming ASEAN Summit and Mekong–Lancang Cooperation Summit scheduled for late 2025.

Recognising economic cooperation as a pillar of bilateral ties, both ministers consented to intensify collaboration with a view to achieving the US$25 billion bilateral trade target in a more balanced manner.

They also agreed to establish a Joint Working Group to effectively implement the “Three Connectivity” Strategy, encompassing the connection of supply chains (particularly in supporting industries); the linkage of economic sectors, enterprises, and localities of both countries; and the alignment of sustainable growth strategies. Priority will also be given to cooperation in new areas such as digital transformation, e‑government, the green economy, just energy transition, innovation ecosystems, and start‑up network connectivity.

The two sides underlined their support for beefing up political and security cooperation and agreed to join efforts to combat transnational crimes. They reaffirmed their commitment to preventing any individual or organisation from using the territory of either country to act against the other.

Welcoming Vietnam’s efforts in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the Thai diplomat pledged to step up coordination in joint exploitation activities and marine environmental protection.

On regional and international cooperation, the two sides affirmed continued close coordination within multilateral and regional mechanisms and pledged to work together, along with other ASEAN members to reinforce the bloc’s unity and centrality, while promoting sub‑regional development cooperation.

On this occasion, Trung invited Sihasak to visit Vietnam and co‑chair the 6th meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation at a mutually convenient time, with Sihasak affirming his intention to arrange the visit as soon as possible.

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