Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam (L) and his Thai counterpart Thanasak Patimaprakorn (Source: VNA)Bangkok (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and his Thai counterpart Thanasak Patimaprakorn expressed their delight at the practical progress of bilateral ties across the board, especially since the establishment of a strategic partnership in 2013, during their talks in Bangkok on August 11.
The host spoke highly of the visit on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties and thanked Vietnam for its support to the organisation of “Thai Cultural Days in Vietnam”.
Both sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties, including facilitating visits and high-level exchanges, effectively upholding cooperation mechanisms such as the Joint Cabinet Meeting and the foreign ministerial level Joint Cooperation Committee, realising the 2014-2018 action plan, increasing the use of hotlines between the two navies, toward lifting two-way trade to 20 billion USD by 2020.
Discussing regional and global issues of shared concern, host and guest committed to close liaisons within the framework of ASEAN and global forums, maintenance of ASEAN’s central role in order to ensure peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.
They shared the view that the sustainable use of Mekong River water resources is necessary to member countries of the Greater Sub-Mekong region.
Deputy PM Dam asked Thailand to continue assisting Vietnamese workers as mentioned in the agreement and consider releasing Vietnamese fishermen who were recently arrested, making it easier to deal with the issue in line with each country’s law and on the basis of the sound bilateral strategic partnership.
On the occasion, the two Deputy PMs joined cultural and art activities in celebration of the anniversary.
They stressed that the “Thai Cultural Days in Vietnam” (July 28 – August 1) and “Vietnamese Cultural Days in Thailand” (August 9-14) are significant to raising public awareness of each nation’s culture and people.
At the reception for Deputy PM Dam, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha expressed his appreciation for the ties with Vietnam and wished to further uphold bilateral cooperative mechanisms.
Dam, for his part, reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of valuing the strategic partnership with Thailand and thanked the Thai government for assisting Vietnamese nationals in the country.
In the morning of the same day, the Vietnamese Deputy PM and Bangkok authorities attended a ceremony to attach a plate showing the Vietnamese name to Khanh Van pagoda – an ancient pagoda of the Vietnamese community in Thailand.-VNA
