Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will pay an official visit to Thailand from June 25-27 at the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The visit demonstrates Vietnam’s policy of proactive international integration, attaching importance to strengthening relations with regional countries to build a strong and united ASEAN Community and a peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developed Southeast Asian region.

Vietnam and Thailand established their diplomatic ties in August 1976. Their relationship has particularly developed since Vietnam officially joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1995.

The two sides have enhanced the exchange of high-ranking delegations in recent years. Together they organised an array of activities to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their bilateral diplomatic ties in 2011 and they planned the second Thailand-Vietnam Joint Cabinet Retreat in October last year.

Economic and trade ties have also been expanded, particularly in rice production and export, finance, transport and oil and gas.

Last year, two-way trade hit 8.62 billion USD. Thailand now ranks tenth out of Vietnam’s 96 investors with 300 projects worth a total of 6.11 billion USD.

In return, Vietnam has invested in seven projects in Thailand with a total capital of 11.35 million USD.

On the plane of cooperation in education, culture, sports and tourism, Thailand has assisted Vietnam in teaching the Thai language in some Vietnamese universities, such as Ho Chi Minh City National University, Hanoi National University, Da Nang University and Hanoi University.

Thailand has also helped Vietnam launch annual short-term training courses on the major contents of the two countries’ cooperative programme for Vietnamese officials.

The country has created conditions for the building of memorial areas dedicated to late President Ho Chi Minh in Udon Thani and Nakhon Phanom provinces, where he once lived and worked.

About 100,000 overseas Vietnamese people are living in Thailand. The host country has long implemented a policy of supporting the Vietnamese community to live stable lives and integrate into Thai society.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit is seen as an opportunity for an elevation in the Vietnam-Thailand relationship, increasing the friendship, mutual trust and understanding between the two countries.-VNA