Eight Vietnam-Thailand political consultation held

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung and Thai Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Thani Thongphakdi co-chaired the eighth annual political consultation between the two foreign ministries, which was held virtually on June 30.
Eight Vietnam-Thailand political consultation held ảnh 1Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese DeputyMinister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung and Thai Permanent Secretary forForeign Affairs Thani Thongphakdi co-chaired the eighth annual politicalconsultation between the two foreign ministries, which was held virtually onJune 30.

At the event, Dung proposedthat Thailand share experience with and transfer technologies to Vietnam inareas of Thailand’s strength.

He lauded Thailand’s national strategy4.0 and the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economic Model, suggesting that the twosides strengthen collaboration in managing and developing particular sectors ofthe digital economy.
For his part, Thongphakdi affirmed thatThailand will actively cooperate with Vietnam in dealing with COVID-19, whilesupporting Vietnam in COVID-19 vaccine research and production and accessingvaccine supply sources, and coordinating with ASEAN countries to speed up theprogress and strengthen the efficiency of the ASEAN COVID-19 Respond Fund, and soon put the ASEAN Regional Reserve for Medical Suppliesinto operation.

Both sides shared pleasure at the growthof the enhanced Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership and pledged to workclosely together at bilateral cooperation mechanisms in the future, especiallythe fourth joint cabinet meeting co-chaired by the two Prime Ministers, and the fourth meeting of the joint committee on bilateral cooperation at the foreign minister level.

They agreed to speed up measures tofacilitate travelling and trade as well as post-pandemic economic recovery,striving to raise bilateral trade to 25 billion USD, while continuing toeffectively implementing and expanding ODA projects funded by the ThaiGovernment to support the sustainable community development in Vietnam.

Both sides concurred to coordinateclosely in organising activities to celebrate the 45th anniversaryof the Vietnam-Thailand diplomatic ties (August 6, 1976-2021), and strengthencollaboration in other important areas such as culture, education, tourism, andresponse to non-traditional security challenges such as environmentalpollution, climate change and water resources.

They will continue to coordinate with andsupport each other at regional and international forums such as the UN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Both sides will hasten the ratification and implementation of theRegional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), while strengtheningcooperation within the sub-regional mechanisms such as the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS),the Ayeyawadi-Chao Praya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), theMekong River Commission, and the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation, and associatingthe growth of the Mekong subregion with the ASEAN Community building.

The officials also discussedregional and international issues of shared concern such as the Myanmarsituation and the East Sea issue. They underlined the significance of themaintenance of rules-based order and respect for international law, especially the1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). They supported the strictand full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in theEast Sea (DOC) and negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the East Sea that iseffective, practical and in conformity with international law and the UNCLOS1982.

The eighth Vietnam-Thailand politicalconsultation at deputy foreign minister level concluded with success, contributing toenhancing the efficiency of coordination between the two ministries and promotingthe enhanced strategic partnership between the two countries./.
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