Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha praised Viet Nam’s achievements in COVID-19 containment and economic recovery during his phone talks with Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday. 

Prayut also spoke highly of Viet Nam’s proactive and responsible engagement in addressing regional and international issues, affirming that Thailand attaches importance to further strengthen the strategic partnership with Viet Nam.

In reply, Pham reassured that he stands ready to work closely with Prayut to deepen the Viet Nam-Thailand strategic partnership in an effective and practical manner.

The two PMs tasked relevant competent authorities of the two countries to coordinate in organizing activities marking the 45th founding anniversary of the bilateral ties this year.

They agreed to soon convene the 4th Joint Cabinet meeting at appropriate time, sign an action plan to implement the enhanced Viet Nam-Thailand strategic partnership for 2021-2025 period, collaborate to raise the two-way trade to US$25 billion by 2025.

PM Pham reaffirmed Viet Nam will continue creating favorable conditions for and encourage Thai investors to do business in such fields like energy, tourism, high-tech agriculture, and digital technologies.

Prayut voiced support for Pham’s idea to create mechanisms to enhance direct exchanges between the two countries’ ministers to timely address obstacles in the bilateral trade and investment cooperation, including those arising in the COVID-19 pandemic time.

The two sides agreed to foster coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums like the UN, ASEAN, and APEC while accelerating transport connectivity and sustainable development in the Mekong Sub-region.

Pham asked the Thai side to support Viet Nam to be the host of the ASEAN Center for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases.

They underlined the importance of further consolidation of ASEAN’s solidarity and common positions on the East Sea issue as well as coordination in concluding an effective and substantial Code of Conduct in the East Sea in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, thus contributing to the maintenance of a peaceful and stable environment in the region.

The two PMs reiterated the importance of ASEAN centrality in supporting Myanmar to overcome the current challenges, pledging to work with other ASEAN member countries to speed up the implementation of the regional leaders’ agreement on the Myanmar issue./.