Hanoi (VNA) - General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam held talks with King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, following the official welcoming ceremony for the King and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana in Hanoi on September 15 morning.
General Secretary and President Lam welcomed the King, the Queen, and the Thai Royal delegation on their state visit to Vietnam. He emphasised the historic significance of this visit - the first by a Thai King in 50 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1976 - noting it as a crucial milestone in the fine and traditional friendship between Vietnam and Thailand, particularly following the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025.
The top Vietnamese leader expressed sincere gratitude to the King and the Queen for the respectful, thoughtful, and warm reception extended to him, his spouse, and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation during their official visit to Thailand in May 2026.
General Secretary and President Lam congratulated the Kingdom of Thailand on the outstanding achievements attained under the King's wise reign regarding stability and socio-economic development, maintaining Thailand's status as a major economy in Southeast Asia and a leading global tourism powerhouse. He also highly valued the role of the King and the Royal Family in strengthening national unity, maintaining stability, fostering community development, and improving the people's quality of life.
General Secretary and President Lam affirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance to its friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation with Thailand, expressing his hope that the two nations will continue to work together, support each other's development, and contribute to regional peace, stability, and growth.
The King expressed his delight at returning to Vietnam and highly evaluated the country's progress in national development and the improvement of its people's living standards. He thanked the State, Government, and people of Vietnam for the respectful and warm welcome extended to him and the Queen. He described the visit as an opportunity to strengthen the bilateral ties and foster cooperation for mutual development, affirming that he and the Thai Royal Family remain deeply committed to nurturing the bonds between the two nations and their people, as well as consolidating Vietnam-Thailand cooperation across all sectors for the mutual benefit and development of both countries. The King emphasised that the fine relationship between Vietnam and Thailand would make a significant contribution to peace, stability, and shared development in the region.
Both leaders spoke highly of the positive strides in Vietnam-Thailand relations over the past 50 years, evolving from friendly neighbourliness to a Strategic Partnership in 2013 and upgrading to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025. They agreed to continue strengthening political trust by maintaining visits and contacts at all levels, effectively utilising cooperation mechanisms, and coordinating the successful implementation of the Vietnam-Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Reflecting on the warm sentiments shared by the people of both nations and their cultural and traditional similarities, the two leaders agreed that the bond between their citizens serves as a crucial foundation for the positive and enduring development of Vietnam-Thailand relations, acting as a driving force for the continued growth of friendship between the two countries.
The two leaders agreed to direct the effective implementation of economic, trade, and investment cooperation; to vigorously promote people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation in education, culture, tourism, and transport connectivity; and to strengthen local-level cooperation and create substantive links, thereby deepening the bilateral relationship.
General Secretary and President Lam highly valued the activities and projects sponsored by the Thai Royal Family in the fields of education and community development in Vietnam, affirming that Vietnam would continue to cooperate and facilitate the effective implementation of these meaningful initiatives.
He expressed gratitude to the King and the Thai Royal Family for their warm sentiments toward Vietnam, particularly their care for the Vietnamese community in Thailand and their efforts to preserve the President Ho Chi Minh historical sites - symbols of great significance regarding history, cultural exchange, and the friendship between the two peoples.
Regarding regional and international affairs, the two leaders highly appreciated the coordination between Vietnam and Thailand at multilateral forums and within regional and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms, agreeing to continue making active contributions to strengthening ASEAN’s solidarity, unity, and centrality.
The two leaders expressed their confidence that the state visit to Vietnam by the King and Queen of Thailand would further strengthen the friendship and political trust between the two nations, as well as mutual understanding between their people; create new momentum for the Vietnam-Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to develop in an increasingly deep, substantive, effective, and sustainable manner; and contribute to building an exemplary cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Thailand./.
