A conference aimed at stepping up cooperative ties between Vietnam and Thailand was held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 28.

The conference is the third of its kind following two other similar events held in Hanoi and Da Nang City , by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, the Thai Department of Export Promotion and the Thai Exhibition Association.

The Thai Acting Consul General in HCM City , Bhakavat Tanskul, said at the event that Thailand and Vietnam have enjoyed close and friendly relations over the past 32 years, especially in trade and economics.

Last year, two-way trade surged by 31.5 percent to reach 6.4 billion USD, while the figure for the first half of 2009 was 2.5 billion USD, he said.

In terms of investment, Thailand has 202 projects in Vietnam , with a combined registered capital of 5.7 billion USD.

The diplomat said he hoped that through the string of conferences, local businesspeople would acquire more useful information about investment and business opportunities as well as the markets in Thailand and find new Thai partners.

Phan The Hao, Head of the Industry and Trade Ministry’s Representative Office in HCM City , applauded Thailand for hosting the conferences, saying that they would serve as forums for Vietnamese entrepreneurs to learn from Thailand ’s events organisers.

Vietnam and Thailand have already signed close to 30 cooperation agreements and deals covering a wide range of areas, including trade, investment, tourism, agriculture, fisheries, animal quarantine, food hygiene, security and environmental protection./.