Thai Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Chalermchai Sri-on (the second from right) presents gift to Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh on April 28. (Photo: VNA)He made thestatement at a working session with Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan ChiThanh on April 28.
The meetingtook place after the 4th meeting of the Thailand-Vietnam Joint Trade Committee(JTC) in Bangkok on April 20, during which both sides agreed to resolve bottlenecks ineconomic cooperation.
Thailand isa major investor in Vietnam’s agricultural sector, and the largesttrading partner of Vietnam in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), withtwo-way trade turnover reaching 18.8 billion USD last year, of whichagricultural products accounted for about 10 percent.
Thailand wasasked to create more favourable conditions for the import of fruit and nuts from Vietnam to ensure a trade balance.
He suggestedthe two countries work closely together to ensure food security and provideagricultural products to markets in the region.
Ambassador Thanh asked Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives andthe Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to resume workingvisits and meetings at levels, while at the same time enhancing informationsharing as well as promoting cooperation in agricultural trade and marketdevelopment. A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on collaboration betweenthe two ministries should be signed soon to facilitate cooperation activitiesin the new context, he said.
For hispart, Minister Chalermchai highly appreciated the working session, saying it is amilestone for the resumption of agricultural cooperation activities between thetwo sides a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He affirmedthe MAC will consider the ambassador's proposals and set up a joint workinggroup to remove bottlenecks.
He also agreed to restart bilateral exchanges between the two ministries at alllevels, and suggested they strengthen coordination to resolve outstandingissues and make agricultural cooperation between the two sides moreeffective./.
VNA
