President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (sitting, left) and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (sitting, right) witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Establishment of Sister City Relationship between and Thailand’s Khon Kaen province and Vietnam’s Da Nang city. (Photo: VNA) Bangkok (VNA) – Vietnam and Thailand on November 16 issued a jointstatement on the official visit of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc to Thailand.
Following is the full text of joint statement
Joint Statement
On the Official Visit ofHis Excellency Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Socialist Republic ofViet Nam, to the Kingdom of Thailand
16 November 2022, Bangkok
CelebratingTen Years of Viet Nam - Thailand Strategic Partnership:
Opening a New Chapter of StrongerStrategic Partnership for Peace, Stability and Mutual Prosperity
1. At the invitation of His Excellency General (Ret.)Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, His ExcellencyMr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, andMadam Tran Nguyet Thu, paid an Official Visit to Thailand on 16 November 2022prior to attending the Asia - Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) EconomicLeaders’ Meeting in Bangkok. As the first Official Visit to Thailand by thePresident of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in 24 years, this event markeda historic milestone in the ever closer relations between the two countries.
2. President Phuc attended a welcoming ceremony, abilateral meeting with Prime Minister Prayut and a dinner hosted by the ThaiPrime Minister in honour of the Vietnamese President at the Government House.During his stay in Thailand, President Phuc also has some other engagementswith Thailand's Leaders and business circles of the two countries.
3. The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions onbilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest in anatmosphere of trust, sincerity and cordiality. Taking into account adverseimpacts on developing countries from ongoing geopolitical challenges, bothleaders expressed their determination to strengthen Thailand - Viet Nam relationsin all areas, including security, trade, investment, sustainable developmentand people-to-people relations in order to reduce impacts from such externalfactors.
As two major economies of Southeast Asia with immensepotentials, Thailand and Viet Nam will also synergise their strengths andeconomic cooperation to achieve astrong, sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 situation in bothcountries. Such efforts will accelerate economic integration of the broaderMekong Sub-region, and propel growth and development of this Sub-region at theheart of East Asia.
As two active and constructive players in regional andinternational affairs, Thailand and Viet Nam will further enhance coordinationand partnership to promote peace, stability and development in the MekongSub-region, ASEAN and the broader region.
4. The two leaders were pleased that both countrieshave continued to maintain regular consultations and visits at all levels tomove forward bilateral cooperation, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19pandemic during the past years. They noted in particular the successfulconvening of the 4th Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation(JCBC) in 2021, the 4th Joint Trade Committee (JTC) in 2022, and the2nd Thailand - Viet Nam Energy Forum (TVEF) in 2022 inThailand.
5. Both leaders were pleased with robust developmentsand upward trajectory of Thailand – Viet Nam relations and welcomed thecommemoration of the tenth anniversary of Strategic Partnership between the twocountries in 2023. The two leaders expressed confidence in great potentialsfor further development of this Strategic Partnership and agreed to open a new chapter of a stronger Strategic Partnership for peace,stability and mutual prosperity. In thiscontext, the two leaders witnessed the signing of the Plan of Action onImplementing the Thailand - Viet Nam Strengthened Strategic Partnership 2022 - 2027, which will guide the Strategic Partnership between the two countries into the nextdecade.
The twoleaders also witnessed the signing of a series of documents. (List of documents shown in Annex)
Advancing Partnership for Peace and Stability
6. The two leaderswere pleased with the close bilateral cooperation on security and defencematters, which further reinforced the strategic trust between the two countrieson the basis of mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual interests. They taskedrelevant agencies of both countries to intensify practical cooperation onsecurity and defence issues of mutual interest and concern. They alsoreaffirmed the commitment not to allow any individual or organisation to usethe territory of one country to conduct activities against the other.
7. The two leaders welcomed plans to hold high-leveldialogues and consultations to further deepen political and securitycooperation at all levels, including the 4th Joint Cabinet Retreat(JCR) in the latter half of 2023, the 4th Defence PolicyDialogue on 17November 2022, the 12th Joint Working Group on Political andSecurity Cooperation (JWG on PSC) in the first quarter of 2023, the 2nd Security Dialogue between the Royal Thai Police and Viet Nam’s Ministry ofPublic Security in Viet Nam, tentatively in December 2022 and the 1st Viet Nam Coast Guard and friends exchange program in December 2022.
Strengthening Partnership for Sustainable and Resilient Recovery andGrowth
8. The two leaders welcomed continued growth inbilateral trade, despite the impacts from COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoingglobal challenges. Thailand is currently the largest trading partner of VietNam in ASEAN, while Viet Nam is the second largest trading partner of Thailandin ASEAN. Both leaders were pleased that the two-way trade hascontinued to grow and is now on track to achieve the bilateral trade target set atUSD 25 billion by 2025. They alsonoted with satisfaction that the overall trend of bilateral trade is movingforward in a more balanced manner.
9. With a view to promoting greater trade andinvestment between the two countries, both leaders tasked relevant agencies tosimplify import-export procedures; facilitate cross-border trade and transit ofgoods to third countries; address investment obstacles; and explore new areasof opportunities, especially digital economy and e-commerce.
10. The two leaders attached importance to promotion,facilitation and protection of investment in respective countries, and pledgedto intensify cooperation to further increase two-way investment betweenThailand and Viet Nam. President Phuc welcomed the fact that Thailand iscurrently the eighth largest foreign investor in Viet Nam with a combined valueof over USD 13 billion as of 2021. At the same time, Prime Minister Prayutwelcomed the growing interest of Vietnamese investors in Thailand and expressedhis hope to see more investment from Viet Nam in Thailand in the near future.
11. The two leaders welcomed recent positivedevelopments regarding Thai investment, including the establishment of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Industry inVietnam (ThaiCham) in December 2021; the opening of Export - Import Bank of Thailand’s (EXIM) representative office and Kasikorn Bank’s (KBANK) branch in Ho Chi Minh City; the granting ofEXIM Bank’s credit lines to Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment andDevelopment of VietNam (BIDV) worth USD 100 million; the signing of the Bilateral Trade and Investment Facilitation Agreementbetween EXIM Bank and Joint Stock Commercial Bankfor Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (Vietcombank) with the targeted first yeartrade volume up to THB 10 billion (USD 250 million); the announcement of Central Retail Group to invest USD 790million to expand its stores in Viet Nam in the next four years; and thecommissioning of the Siam Cement Group’s (SCG) Long Son Petrochemical Complexin Ba Ria – Vung Tau province in 2022. The two leaders were pleased with the successful launching of theCross-border QR Payment Linkage between Thailand and Viet Nam aimed atfacilitating tourism and the use of local currencies, as well as promoting thedigitalisation of both countries.
12. The two leaders expressed their firm commitment tofurther advance the Strengthened Strategic Partnership between Thailand andViet Nam which will contribute to socio-economic resilience of both countriesthrough the “Three Connects” strategy, namely:
Connecting the two countries’ supply chains, especially in complementary and mutually beneficial industries, such as petrochemical, agriculture, machinery and electronic parts.
Connecting the two countries’ grassroots economies, especially the enhancement of direct business linkages and exchanges among Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and local entrepreneurs, with a view to promoting more cross-border economic activities at the local-to-local level.
Connecting sustainable growth strategies between Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model and Viet Nam’s Green Growth Strategy to enable the two countries to achieve the goal of low carbon and environmentally-friendly societies.
DeepeningPartnership for Development and People-to-People Exchanges
13. The two leaders noted with satisfaction the progress made in technical and developmentcooperationand agreed to cooperate in water resources management in the Mekong Sub-region as well as workmore closely towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
14. The two leaders appreciated the bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture,education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges has brought greaterconnectivity and deepened understanding between the peoples of the twocountries. Both sides also acknowledged and highly valued the roles of theThailand - Viet Nam and Viet Nam - Thailand Friendship Associations and agreedto continue supporting these two organisations in promoting and strengtheningthe peoples’ friendship between our two countries. Thus, the two sides committo fully utilise sister city frameworks between provinces of both countries,with a view to promoting broader and deeper people-to-people exchanges,especially among the younger generations of the two countries.
Enhancing Partnership forthe Region and the World
15. The twoleaders stressed the importance of Thailand and Viet Nam coordinating closelytheir positions on issues of mutual concern and interest in sub-regional, regional and multilateral frameworksof which the two countries are members, such as the United Nations (UN),Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia Pacific EconomicCooperation (APEC), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS),Ayeyawady - Chao Phraya - Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), MekongRiver Commission (MRC) and other Mekong cooperation frameworks. President Phucspoke highly of Thailand’s Chairmanship of APEC in 2022, while Prime MinisterPrayut expressed his appreciation for the full support from Viet Nam.
16. The two leaders agreed that Thailand and Viet Namwill work closely to promoteASEAN’s unity, centrality and efforts in addressing emerging issues. Bothleaders expressed their full support for ASEAN’s leading role on the Myanmarissue. Both sides expressed their support for the implementation of the fourareas of cooperation identified under the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP),the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF) and other relevant ASEANinitiatives, including but not limited to promoting synergies between existingMekong sub-regional cooperation efforts and ASEAN Community building efforts. Thailandand Viet Nam also agreed to work closely on the effective implementation of theRegional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.
17. The two leaders reaffirmed the importance ofmaintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety, and freedom ofnavigation in and over flight above the South China Sea and recognised thebenefits of having the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability, and prosperity.They reiterated their commitment to and support for the resolution of alldisputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, inaccordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, with full respectfor legal and diplomatic processes. They underscored the importance of the fulland effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Partiesin the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety. They were encouraged by theprogress of the substantive negotiations towards the early conclusion of aneffective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC)consistent with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, within a mutuallyagreed timeline.
* * * **
ANNEX
Documentssigned during President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s Official Visit to the Kingdom ofThailand
16 November2022
1. Plan of Action onImplementing the Thailand – Viet Nam Strengthened Strategic Partnership 2022 -2027;
2. Agreement on Mutual JudicialAssistance in Civil Matters between the Kingdom of Thailand and the SocialistRepublic of Viet Nam;
3. Memoradumof Understanding on the Establishment of Sister City Relationship between and Khon Kaen Province, theKingdom of Thailand and Da Nang City, theSocialist Republic of Viet Nam;
4. Memorandum of Understanding between Board of Trade of Thailand andViet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and
5. Bilateral Trade andInvestment Facilitation Agreement betweenthe Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Bank) and Joint Stock Commercial Bankfor Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (Vietcombank)./.
Following is the full text of joint statement
Joint Statement
On the Official Visit ofHis Excellency Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Socialist Republic ofViet Nam, to the Kingdom of Thailand
16 November 2022, Bangkok
CelebratingTen Years of Viet Nam - Thailand Strategic Partnership:
Opening a New Chapter of StrongerStrategic Partnership for Peace, Stability and Mutual Prosperity
1. At the invitation of His Excellency General (Ret.)Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, His ExcellencyMr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, andMadam Tran Nguyet Thu, paid an Official Visit to Thailand on 16 November 2022prior to attending the Asia - Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) EconomicLeaders’ Meeting in Bangkok. As the first Official Visit to Thailand by thePresident of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in 24 years, this event markeda historic milestone in the ever closer relations between the two countries.
2. President Phuc attended a welcoming ceremony, abilateral meeting with Prime Minister Prayut and a dinner hosted by the ThaiPrime Minister in honour of the Vietnamese President at the Government House.During his stay in Thailand, President Phuc also has some other engagementswith Thailand's Leaders and business circles of the two countries.
3. The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions onbilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest in anatmosphere of trust, sincerity and cordiality. Taking into account adverseimpacts on developing countries from ongoing geopolitical challenges, bothleaders expressed their determination to strengthen Thailand - Viet Nam relationsin all areas, including security, trade, investment, sustainable developmentand people-to-people relations in order to reduce impacts from such externalfactors.
As two major economies of Southeast Asia with immensepotentials, Thailand and Viet Nam will also synergise their strengths andeconomic cooperation to achieve astrong, sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 situation in bothcountries. Such efforts will accelerate economic integration of the broaderMekong Sub-region, and propel growth and development of this Sub-region at theheart of East Asia.
As two active and constructive players in regional andinternational affairs, Thailand and Viet Nam will further enhance coordinationand partnership to promote peace, stability and development in the MekongSub-region, ASEAN and the broader region.
4. The two leaders were pleased that both countrieshave continued to maintain regular consultations and visits at all levels tomove forward bilateral cooperation, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19pandemic during the past years. They noted in particular the successfulconvening of the 4th Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation(JCBC) in 2021, the 4th Joint Trade Committee (JTC) in 2022, and the2nd Thailand - Viet Nam Energy Forum (TVEF) in 2022 inThailand.
5. Both leaders were pleased with robust developmentsand upward trajectory of Thailand – Viet Nam relations and welcomed thecommemoration of the tenth anniversary of Strategic Partnership between the twocountries in 2023. The two leaders expressed confidence in great potentialsfor further development of this Strategic Partnership and agreed to open a new chapter of a stronger Strategic Partnership for peace,stability and mutual prosperity. In thiscontext, the two leaders witnessed the signing of the Plan of Action onImplementing the Thailand - Viet Nam Strengthened Strategic Partnership 2022 - 2027, which will guide the Strategic Partnership between the two countries into the nextdecade.
The twoleaders also witnessed the signing of a series of documents. (List of documents shown in Annex)
Advancing Partnership for Peace and Stability
6. The two leaderswere pleased with the close bilateral cooperation on security and defencematters, which further reinforced the strategic trust between the two countrieson the basis of mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual interests. They taskedrelevant agencies of both countries to intensify practical cooperation onsecurity and defence issues of mutual interest and concern. They alsoreaffirmed the commitment not to allow any individual or organisation to usethe territory of one country to conduct activities against the other.
7. The two leaders welcomed plans to hold high-leveldialogues and consultations to further deepen political and securitycooperation at all levels, including the 4th Joint Cabinet Retreat(JCR) in the latter half of 2023, the 4th Defence PolicyDialogue on 17November 2022, the 12th Joint Working Group on Political andSecurity Cooperation (JWG on PSC) in the first quarter of 2023, the 2nd Security Dialogue between the Royal Thai Police and Viet Nam’s Ministry ofPublic Security in Viet Nam, tentatively in December 2022 and the 1st Viet Nam Coast Guard and friends exchange program in December 2022.
Strengthening Partnership for Sustainable and Resilient Recovery andGrowth
8. The two leaders welcomed continued growth inbilateral trade, despite the impacts from COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoingglobal challenges. Thailand is currently the largest trading partner of VietNam in ASEAN, while Viet Nam is the second largest trading partner of Thailandin ASEAN. Both leaders were pleased that the two-way trade hascontinued to grow and is now on track to achieve the bilateral trade target set atUSD 25 billion by 2025. They alsonoted with satisfaction that the overall trend of bilateral trade is movingforward in a more balanced manner.
9. With a view to promoting greater trade andinvestment between the two countries, both leaders tasked relevant agencies tosimplify import-export procedures; facilitate cross-border trade and transit ofgoods to third countries; address investment obstacles; and explore new areasof opportunities, especially digital economy and e-commerce.
10. The two leaders attached importance to promotion,facilitation and protection of investment in respective countries, and pledgedto intensify cooperation to further increase two-way investment betweenThailand and Viet Nam. President Phuc welcomed the fact that Thailand iscurrently the eighth largest foreign investor in Viet Nam with a combined valueof over USD 13 billion as of 2021. At the same time, Prime Minister Prayutwelcomed the growing interest of Vietnamese investors in Thailand and expressedhis hope to see more investment from Viet Nam in Thailand in the near future.
11. The two leaders welcomed recent positivedevelopments regarding Thai investment, including the establishment of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Industry inVietnam (ThaiCham) in December 2021; the opening of Export - Import Bank of Thailand’s (EXIM) representative office and Kasikorn Bank’s (KBANK) branch in Ho Chi Minh City; the granting ofEXIM Bank’s credit lines to Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment andDevelopment of VietNam (BIDV) worth USD 100 million; the signing of the Bilateral Trade and Investment Facilitation Agreementbetween EXIM Bank and Joint Stock Commercial Bankfor Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (Vietcombank) with the targeted first yeartrade volume up to THB 10 billion (USD 250 million); the announcement of Central Retail Group to invest USD 790million to expand its stores in Viet Nam in the next four years; and thecommissioning of the Siam Cement Group’s (SCG) Long Son Petrochemical Complexin Ba Ria – Vung Tau province in 2022. The two leaders were pleased with the successful launching of theCross-border QR Payment Linkage between Thailand and Viet Nam aimed atfacilitating tourism and the use of local currencies, as well as promoting thedigitalisation of both countries.
12. The two leaders expressed their firm commitment tofurther advance the Strengthened Strategic Partnership between Thailand andViet Nam which will contribute to socio-economic resilience of both countriesthrough the “Three Connects” strategy, namely:
Connecting the two countries’ supply chains, especially in complementary and mutually beneficial industries, such as petrochemical, agriculture, machinery and electronic parts.
Connecting the two countries’ grassroots economies, especially the enhancement of direct business linkages and exchanges among Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and local entrepreneurs, with a view to promoting more cross-border economic activities at the local-to-local level.
Connecting sustainable growth strategies between Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model and Viet Nam’s Green Growth Strategy to enable the two countries to achieve the goal of low carbon and environmentally-friendly societies.
DeepeningPartnership for Development and People-to-People Exchanges
13. The two leaders noted with satisfaction the progress made in technical and developmentcooperationand agreed to cooperate in water resources management in the Mekong Sub-region as well as workmore closely towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
14. The two leaders appreciated the bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture,education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges has brought greaterconnectivity and deepened understanding between the peoples of the twocountries. Both sides also acknowledged and highly valued the roles of theThailand - Viet Nam and Viet Nam - Thailand Friendship Associations and agreedto continue supporting these two organisations in promoting and strengtheningthe peoples’ friendship between our two countries. Thus, the two sides committo fully utilise sister city frameworks between provinces of both countries,with a view to promoting broader and deeper people-to-people exchanges,especially among the younger generations of the two countries.
Enhancing Partnership forthe Region and the World
15. The twoleaders stressed the importance of Thailand and Viet Nam coordinating closelytheir positions on issues of mutual concern and interest in sub-regional, regional and multilateral frameworksof which the two countries are members, such as the United Nations (UN),Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia Pacific EconomicCooperation (APEC), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS),Ayeyawady - Chao Phraya - Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), MekongRiver Commission (MRC) and other Mekong cooperation frameworks. President Phucspoke highly of Thailand’s Chairmanship of APEC in 2022, while Prime MinisterPrayut expressed his appreciation for the full support from Viet Nam.
16. The two leaders agreed that Thailand and Viet Namwill work closely to promoteASEAN’s unity, centrality and efforts in addressing emerging issues. Bothleaders expressed their full support for ASEAN’s leading role on the Myanmarissue. Both sides expressed their support for the implementation of the fourareas of cooperation identified under the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP),the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF) and other relevant ASEANinitiatives, including but not limited to promoting synergies between existingMekong sub-regional cooperation efforts and ASEAN Community building efforts. Thailandand Viet Nam also agreed to work closely on the effective implementation of theRegional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.
17. The two leaders reaffirmed the importance ofmaintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety, and freedom ofnavigation in and over flight above the South China Sea and recognised thebenefits of having the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability, and prosperity.They reiterated their commitment to and support for the resolution of alldisputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, inaccordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, with full respectfor legal and diplomatic processes. They underscored the importance of the fulland effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Partiesin the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety. They were encouraged by theprogress of the substantive negotiations towards the early conclusion of aneffective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC)consistent with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, within a mutuallyagreed timeline.
* * * **
ANNEX
Documentssigned during President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s Official Visit to the Kingdom ofThailand
16 November2022
1. Plan of Action onImplementing the Thailand – Viet Nam Strengthened Strategic Partnership 2022 -2027;
2. Agreement on Mutual JudicialAssistance in Civil Matters between the Kingdom of Thailand and the SocialistRepublic of Viet Nam;
3. Memoradumof Understanding on the Establishment of Sister City Relationship between and Khon Kaen Province, theKingdom of Thailand and Da Nang City, theSocialist Republic of Viet Nam;
4. Memorandum of Understanding between Board of Trade of Thailand andViet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and
5. Bilateral Trade andInvestment Facilitation Agreement betweenthe Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Bank) and Joint Stock Commercial Bankfor Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (Vietcombank)./.
VNA
