Top Vietnamese Leaders Meet Visiting Thai Premier

Text of report in English by Vietnamese news agency VNA website

Hanoi: Upon his arrival in Hanoi on 24 March for an official visit to Vietnam, Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej held talks with his host, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, on bilateral relations.

PM Dung affirmed the government’s policy for friendly and cooperative relations with Thailand, which he said had fared well in the recent past.

Discussing a number of orientations for cooperation in politics, security, trade and investment, they agreed to push for consultation at the foreign ministerial level and for the formula of the joint strategy of economic partnership (JSEP).

The two sides also agreed to double bilateral trade revenues to 10bn US dollars by 2010 and encourage Thailand’s leading enterprises to open businesses and invest in Vietnam.

PM Samak pledged not to let any individuals or organizations use the Thai territory for their hostile schemes against Vietnam. He also promised to create favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to live and work in Thailand.

Also discussed was the Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (AMECS), a cooperation framework between Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar [Burma], the Great Mekong Sub-region programme (GMS), and other regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The Thai government leader asked for Vietnam’s support in the country’s bid for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council in the coming term.

Leaving the conference hall, the two government leaders witnessed the signing of a bilateral agreement against human trafficking, especially women and girls, and assistance to victims.

In the afternoon, the Thai government leader met with the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nong Duc Manh.

Samak reiterated Thailand’s policy to strengthen relations in all fields with Vietnam and encourage its enterprises to invest in the latter.

The party leader emphasized the nation’s open external policy towards multilateralization and diversification.

“Vietnam highly respects friendship and multifaceted cooperation with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Thailand,” General Secretary Manh said.

He also said Vietnam had a policy to boost relations with Thailand.

The party leader’s view was echoed by State President Nguyen Minh Triet, who met the Thai government leader later in the day. President Triet highly valued Thailand’s role and contributions to cooperation programmes within the framework of the GMS and ACMECS. He said he believed in strong cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand for further developing the Southeast Asian region.

In reply, the Thai prime minister appreciated the investment climate in Vietnam, especially since the time the country joined the World Trade Organization. He said Thai investors are increasingly interested in investment opportunities in Vietnam, considering the market as a springboard for their products to export to other countries in the region.

PM Samak proposed an initiative to build a joint traffic system that will connect countries in the Mekong sub-region in an effort to boost trade and cash in on the region’s tourism potential, thus improving local living conditions.

Originally published by VNA news agency website, Hanoi, in English 24 Mar 08.

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