Hanoi (VNA) – Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul left Hanoi on June 9 evening, concluding his official visit to Vietnam and attendance at the third ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) from June 8 – 9, at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung.
During his trip, PM Anutin and his spouse, along with a high-ranking Thai delegation, visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and laid a wreath at the Monument to Heroes and Martyrs on Bac Son street, Hanoi.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam received PM Anutin, while PM Hung presided over the official welcome ceremony and held talks with PM Anutin, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man met with the Thai PM.
At the meetings and talks with PM Anutin, the Vietnamese leaders highly appreciated the important significance of the visit, which took place in the context of the extremely positive development of cooperative relations between the two countries and coincided with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Thailand. They expressed their confidence that the visit would make a positive contribution to further developing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries in a deeper, more substantive, and effective manner.
The Thai PM expressed his pleasure at making his first official visit to Vietnam, and thanked the Vietnamese leaders and people for the warm and cordial welcome extended to the delegation. PM Anutin emphasised that the recent official visit to Thailand by General Secretary and President Lam was a resounding success, creating a very positive impression on the Thai people, opening up many new directions for cooperation, and providing strong impetus for the bilateral relationship to enter a new phase of development.
The leaders of the two countries exchanged views and proposed specific measures to implement the agreements between the high-ranking leaders of the two countries, especially the results of General Secretary and President Lam's recent official visit to Thailand.
In the economic field, the leaders of the two countries agreed to effectively implement the "Three Connectivity" Strategy; promote connectivity in transport, logistics, aviation, and tourism; study and develop road and coastal waterway transport routes connecting the two countries and the Mekong sub-region; effectively utilize the mechanism of the Vietnam-Thailand Joint Trade Committee; and reduce trade barriers, and create favourable conditions for goods to access each other's markets, striving to achieve the target of 25 billion USD in trade turnover soon and aiming for 50 billion USD in a balanced and sustainable manner.
Both sides committed to promoting expanded cooperation in agriculture, ensuring food security, and in new areas such as science, technology, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, digital economy, green economy, just energy transition, and innovation.
Attending and speaking at the opening session of the third ASEAN Future Forum, PM Anutin emphasised that ASEAN-led mechanisms have proven exceptionally effective in creating an equal space for cooperation, contributing to ensuring strategic balance. ASEAN must steadfastly maintain this strategic mindset to best adapt to the changing international environment.
During the visit, Madame Thananon Niramit, spouse of the Thai PM, participated in cultural exchange activities with Madame Dao Thi Bich Thuy, spouse of the Vietnamese PM; Madame Vandara Siphandone, spouse of the Lao PM; and Madame Pich Chamony, spouse of the Cambodian PM, at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi./.
VNA
