Vietnam and Thailand issue joint statement.

Vietnam and Thailand issued a joint statement with the message "Celebrating 10 years of establishing the Vietnam-Thailand Strategic Partnership".

VOV Online newspaper is republishing the full text of this joint statement.

President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc pays an official visit to the Kingdom of Thailand.

November 16, 2022, Bangkok

Celebrating 10 years of the Vietnam-Thailand Strategic Partnership: Opening a new chapter of an even stronger Strategic Partnership for shared peace, stability, and prosperity.

(Photo: VNA)

1. At the invitation of the Prime Minister of Thailand, former General Prayut Chan-o-cha, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his wife Tran Nguyet Thu paid an official visit to Thailand on November 16, 2022, before attending the APEC Summit in Bangkok. This was the first official visit in 24 years by a President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Thailand, marking another historic milestone in the increasingly close relationship between the two countries.

2. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the official welcoming ceremony, held talks with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, and attended a dinner hosted by the Thai Prime Minister at the Government House. During the visit, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc also held meetings with other Thai leaders and business representatives from both countries.

3. The two leaders held extensive discussions on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual concern in an atmosphere of trust, sincerity, and cordiality. In light of the negative impacts of current geopolitical challenges on developing countries, the two leaders expressed their determination to strengthen Vietnam-Thailand relations in all areas, including security, trade, investment, sustainable development, and people-to-people exchanges, in order to mitigate the effects of these external factors.

As two major economies in Southeast Asia with enormous potential, Vietnam and Thailand will combine their strengths and economic cooperation to achieve a strong, sustainable, and resilient recovery in the post-Covid-19 period. These efforts will enhance economic integration in the broader Mekong Subregion, while also promoting growth and development in this region at the heart of East Asia.

As two countries that actively and constructively contribute to regional and international issues, Vietnam and Thailand will further strengthen coordination and partnership to promote peace, stability, and development in the Mekong Subregion, ASEAN, and internationally.

4. The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the continued maintenance of regular consultations and exchanges of delegations at all levels between the two countries to promote bilateral cooperation, despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic in recent years. The two leaders particularly noted the success of the 4th meeting of the Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in 2021, the 4th meeting of the Joint Trade Committee (JTC) in 2022, and the 2nd Vietnam-Thailand Energy Forum (VTEF) held in Thailand in 2022.

5. The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the strong and increasingly deep development of Vietnam-Thailand relations and welcomed the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries in 2023. The two leaders expressed confidence in the enormous potential for further development of the Strategic Partnership and agreed to open a new chapter of an even stronger Strategic Partnership for peace, stability, and common prosperity. In that spirit, the two leaders witnessed the signing ceremony of the Action Program to implement the enhanced Vietnam-Thailand Strategic Partnership for the period 2022-2027, aiming to guide the Strategic Partnership between the two countries in the next decade.

On this occasion, the two leaders also witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation documents.

Strengthening Partnerships for Peace and Stability

6. The two leaders expressed satisfaction that the two countries have maintained high-level consultations and dialogues, promoting bilateral cooperation in security and defense fields to strengthen strategic trust between the two countries on the basis of mutual trust, respect, and benefit. Both sides agreed to enhance substantive cooperation in security and defense areas of common interest and concern. Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment not to allow any individual or organization to use their territory to carry out activities against the other country.

7. The two leaders welcomed plans to hold high-level dialogues and consultations to further deepen political and security cooperation at all levels, including the 4th Joint Cabinet Meeting (JCR) in the second half of 2023, the 4th Defence Policy Dialogue on November 17, 2022, the 12th Joint Working Group Meeting on Political and Security Cooperation in the first quarter of 2023, the 2nd High-Level Dialogue on Crime Prevention and Security Issues between the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and the Royal Thai Police scheduled for December 2022, and the first Vietnam Coast Guard and Friends Exchange Program in December 2022.

Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Recovery and Growth

8. The two leaders welcomed the continued growth in bilateral trade, despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing global challenges. Thailand is currently Vietnam's largest trading partner in ASEAN, while Vietnam is Thailand's second largest trading partner in ASEAN. The two leaders expressed satisfaction that bilateral trade turnover continues to grow and is on track to reach the target of US$25 billion by 2025. The two leaders also expressed satisfaction that bilateral trade continues to grow in an increasingly balanced direction.

9. In order to promote stronger trade and investment between the two countries, the two leaders instructed relevant agencies to simplify import-export procedures; facilitate cross-border trade and the transit of goods to third countries; resolve investment obstacles; and explore new areas of cooperation, especially the digital economy and e-commerce.

10. The two leaders valued promoting, facilitating, and protecting investment in each country; and committed to strengthening cooperation to further promote bilateral investment between Vietnam and Thailand. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed Thailand as currently Vietnam's eighth largest foreign investor, with a total value of over US$13 billion as of 2021. Prime Minister Prayut welcomed the increasing interest of Vietnamese investors in Thailand and hoped for more Vietnamese investment in Thailand in the near future.

11. The two leaders welcomed recent positive developments related to Thai investment, including the establishment of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (ThaiCham) in December 2021; the opening of a representative office of the Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM) and the Ho Chi Minh City branch of Kasikorn Bank (KBANK); the granting of a US$100 million credit line from EXIM to the Vietnam Investment and Development Bank (BIDV); the signing of a Bilateral Trade and Investment Facilitation Agreement between EXIM and the Vietnam Foreign Trade Joint Stock Commercial Bank (Vietcombank) with a target of 10 billion baht (US$250 million) in trade in the first year; and the announcement of Central Retail Group's US$790 million investment to expand its store network in Vietnam over the next four years. and the commissioning of the Long Son Petrochemical Complex of Siam Cement Group (SCG) in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province in 2022. The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the success of the announcement ceremony for connecting retail payments between Vietnam and Thailand using QR codes, aiming to facilitate tourism development and the use of domestic currency, as well as promote the digital transformation process of both countries.

12. The two leaders expressed a strong commitment to further promote the enhanced Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Thailand to contribute to the socio-economic strength of both countries through the “Three Connectivity” strategy, including:

- Connecting the supply chains of the two countries, especially in mutually beneficial supporting industries, such as: petrochemicals, agriculture, machinery and electronic components.

- Connecting the basic economic sectors of the two countries, especially strengthening direct business links and exchanges between micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), as well as with local entrepreneurs, in order to promote cross-border economic activities at the local level;

- Connecting sustainable growth strategies between Vietnam's Green Growth Strategy and Thailand's Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model will contribute to helping both countries achieve their goals of building low-carbon, environmentally friendly societies.

Strengthening Partnerships for Development and People-to-People Exchanges

13. The two Leaders expressed satisfaction with the progress in technical and development cooperation; agreed to cooperate on water resource management in the Mekong River basin and to work more closely together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

14. The two leaders highly appreciated the results of bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, which have helped strengthen connections and increase understanding between the people of the two countries. Both sides recognized and appreciated the role of the Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Association and the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association and agreed to continue supporting the role of these two organizations in promoting and strengthening friendship between the people of the two countries. On this basis, both sides committed to maximizing the framework of sister city agreements between localities of the two countries to promote increasingly deeper people-to-people exchanges, especially between the younger generations of the two countries.

Strengthening Partnerships on Regional and International Issues

15. The two leaders emphasized the importance of Vietnam and Thailand coordinating closely on issues of shared concern and interest within the framework of cooperation mechanisms in the Mekong Subregion, regional and multilateral frameworks of which both countries are members, such as the United Nations (UN), ASEAN, APEC, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), Mekong River Commission (MRC) and other Mekong cooperation frameworks. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc highly appreciated Thailand's role as APEC Chair in 2022, while Prime Minister Prayut expressed his appreciation for Vietnam's full support.

16. The two leaders agreed that Vietnam and Thailand will cooperate closely to promote ASEAN's solidarity, central role, and efforts in addressing emerging issues. The two leaders expressed their full support for ASEAN's leadership role in the Myanmar issue. Both sides expressed support for the implementation of the four areas of cooperation identified in the ASEAN Vision on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF), and other related ASEAN initiatives, including promoting synergies among cooperative efforts within existing Mekong Subregion mechanisms and building the ASEAN Community. Vietnam and Thailand also agreed to cooperate closely in the effective implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

17. The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, as well as the interests of maintaining the South China Sea as a sea of ​​peace, stability, and prosperity. Both sides stressed their commitment to supporting the peaceful resolution of disputes, refraining from the threat or use of force, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and fully respecting legal and diplomatic processes. Both sides emphasized the importance of the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). Both sides were encouraged by the progress of substantive negotiations aimed at the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS 1982, within a mutually agreed timeframe.