27-10-2023 (BANGKOK) Thailand and Vietnam are poised to elevate their bilateral relations to the highest echelon. The groundwork for this momentous shift was laid during the visit of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to Hanoi, scheduled for next year.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand, Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, engaged in discussions with his Vietnamese counterpart, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, on October 26. Both ministers expressed their strong commitment to fortify their nations’ ties in various domains, thereby enhancing their strategic partnership. The Vietnamese Foreign Minister warmly welcomed Prime Minister Srettha’s upcoming visit to Vietnam next year, where he is expected to participate in an official meeting between the Thai and Vietnamese cabinets.
The discussions encompassed cooperation in multiple sectors, including security, economics, trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people relations. Furthermore, the ministers exchanged perspectives on regional matters affecting the Mekong sub-region, ASEAN, and bilateral relations between Thailand and Vietnam.
Parnpree underlined Thailand’s readiness to host the imminent visit of Vietnam’s National Assembly president, scheduled for December. He also extended an official invitation to his Vietnamese counterpart to visit Thailand in the near future. Concurrently, Vietnam’s Foreign Minister expressed his condolences for the Thai workers who lost their lives in Israel.
Parnpree later disclosed that the discussions had been highly constructive, unveiling extensive opportunities for collaboration with Vietnam. Both sides underscored their commitment to fostering trade and investment cooperation, with a goal of achieving a trade value of approximately US$25 billion by 2025, a significant increase from the current US$21 billion.
Vietnam’s Foreign Minister responded positively to this commitment and pledged to assist in overcoming various obstacles encountered by Thai businesses.
The parties also emphasized their cooperation at the regional level within the framework of ACMECS (Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy), trilateral connections, and local-to-local collaboration related to supply chain linkages. These aspects are pivotal in current cross-border investments.
Several of these matters had been previously proposed to the Vietnamese government without receiving an official response. However, recent developments indicate Vietnam’s willingness to advance its relationship with Thailand, marking a positive turn of events.
Parnpree stated that this round of talks was of paramount importance and aimed at elevating the strategic partnership between Thailand and Vietnam to the highest level. This would position Vietnam as the first ASEAN country to attain such a status. An official announcement is anticipated following Prime Minister Srettha’s official visit to Vietnam, further solidifying the strong bond between the two nations.
