PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc starts official visit to Thailand

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc arrives in Bangkok to start a three-day official visit to Thailand (Source: VNA)

Bangkok (VNA) – Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc, his spouse and a high-level Vietnamese delegation arrived in Bangkokon August 17 afternoon to begin a three-day official visit to Thailand.

Phuc is scheduled to hold talks with his Thaicounterpart Prayut Chan-ocha and meet with senior officials as well as receivethe Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Association’s officials and visit the Embassyof Vietnam in Thailand.

In Bangkok, the PM will address an openingceremony of the Vietnam-Thailand business forum and attend the Vietnamese goodsweek at the Lad Prao trade centre. He is expected to host leaders of leadingThai businesses.

The PM is also due to visit Nakhon Phanom provincein the north-eastern region of Thailand.

[Vietnam aims for deeper relations with Thailand through PM’s visit]

On the occasion, the daily Bangkok Post carrieda story titled “Thailand and Vietnam: Stronger together” by journalist KaviChongkittavorn, saying “In ASEAN, Vietnam is Thailand’s only strategicpartner.”

The journalist highlighted the historicalrelations between the two countries and commented the bilateral friendship hasbeen reinforced and developed since Vietnam joined the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN) in 1995.

The two sides have increased cooperation in allfields, the journalist said, adding that “Vietnam has taken the high road,quickly expanding the country's foreign trade relations, emerging as theregion's most internationally connected, with 17 free-trade agreements. Vietnamwas one of four ASEAN nations that joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership.Thailand’s record, as a free and open economy, pales in comparison.”

“Indeed, Vietnam’s attractive trade regime haspropelled Thailand to forge even closer economic ties and move toward a digitisedeconomy,” the article said.

Thailand is a leading trade partner of Vietnamand the two-way trade is expected to hit 20 billion USD by 2020, it added.

There is also a large room for the two countriesto boost navigation cooperation.

“Given their long coastline, they are planningto cooperate with Cambodia in coastal shipping,” Kavi said.

“As part of the ASEAN Community and othersub-regional organisations, Thailand and Vietnam are considered a twin-turboengine that can uplift the regional economy and create social equality andstability in the Mekong subregion,” he noted.

He concluded that the Vietnamese PM’s visit toThailand will create an opportunity for the two countries to tighten theirclose relationship.-VNA

VNA