The first meeting of the Vietnam-Thailand Joint Cooperation Committee

According to a VNA correspondent in Thailand, during the first meeting of the Vietnam-Thailand Joint Cooperation Committee, which took place in Bangkok on November 5, the two sides discussed bilateral cooperation in politics, defense-security, economics, trade, investment, transportation, culture, education, tourism and labor.

The two sides signed the minutes of this session and agreed to hold the next session in 2014.

Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (left) shakes hands with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul. (Photo: Ha Linh/Vietnam+)

This meeting was co-chaired by Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, with the participation of the Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand, the Thai Ambassador to Vietnam and representatives of ministries and branches of the two countries.

The two sides have proposed specific measures to promote cooperation and affirmed the importance of developing the strategic partnership. The two sides highly appreciated the results of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's visit to Vietnam in November 2011 and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to Thailand last June.

The two sides agreed to continue maintaining high-level and all-level visits as well as people-to-people exchanges to enhance friendship, mutual understanding and trust.

Minister Pham Binh Minh and his counterpart Surapong agreed to approve the Vietnam-Thailand Action Program for the 2014-2018 period to prepare for signing on the occasion of the upcoming third Vietnam-Thailand Joint Cabinet meeting.

Within the framework of multilateral cooperation, the two sides pledged to closely coordinate with each other and with other members in building the ASEAN Community by 2015 and promoting ASEAN's central role in resolving regional issues.

The two sides discussed issues related to the East Sea and emphasized the principles of maintaining peace, stability, safety and maritime security; respecting international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC); welcoming the ASEAN Six-Point Statement on the East Sea; and affirming coordination to promote the early achievement of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

The cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand has achieved many encouraging results in recent times. Security and defense cooperation continues to develop well, with increased exchanges of delegations at all levels, regular maintenance of the mechanism of meetings of the Joint Working Group on Politics and Security (JWG) and joint patrols at sea. The two sides are effectively implementing the Defense Cooperation Agreement and the Joint Statement on Vietnam-Thailand Security Vision.

Trade cooperation between the two sides has also been constantly increasing, with two-way trade value in 2012 reaching 8.6 billion USD and expected to increase to 15 billion by 2020.

Minister Pham Binh Minh assessed that this meeting took place in the context of the two countries' relations developing very well and reaching a new height after the two countries' senior leaders agreed to upgrade the relationship to a strategic partnership during General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's official visit to Thailand last June. This is a key mechanism for the two sides to promote and strengthen the friendly neighborly relationship to a new height, for the benefit of the two peoples.

During a courtesy call by Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck highly appreciated the importance of the meeting of the Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation and considered it an important mechanism to strengthen and develop the strategic partnership between the two countries.

The Thai Prime Minister affirmed that Thailand will make efforts to contribute to peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the East Sea and suggested that ASEAN Foreign Ministers should increase meetings and make efforts to soon reach a COC.

Minister Pham Binh Minh thanked the Thai government and people for their care and support for the Vietnamese community in Thailand to do business, live and integrate into Thai society, as well as for being a bridge to strengthen the friendship between the two countries./.

According to Vietnam+