NA Chairman meets with Thai Prime Minister National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung met with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in Bangkok on December 3. Photo: VNA National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung met with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in Bangkok on December 3, the first day of his official visit to Thailand. Welcoming Thailand ’s initiative to lift the two countries’ relations to a level of strategic partnership, the Vietnamese NA Chairman said the idea will benefit not only the two countries but ASEAN and the region in peace, security, stability and cooperative development. Vietnam supports and believes that as the country coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, Thailand will make positive contributions to strengthening and enhancing ASEAN-China relations, including maritime cooperation. Hung affirmed that the Vietnamese NA supports the two countries’ enhanced cooperation fostered by the two countries’ governments in all fields and suggested both sides make full use of their strengths to promote joint cooperation programmes and projects between their businesses. Increased cooperation between the two legislative bodies will create favourable conditions for the bodies to share legislation experience, as well as boost the implementation of agreements reached by the two governments, he added. PM Shinawatra said Chairman Hung’s visit is especially important in promoting the two countries’ cooperation to a new height, thus contributing to a stronger traditional friendship. It is necessary to lift the two countries’ ties to a strategic partnership level to promote socio-economic development in each country, which in turn would contribute to the common development and prosperity of the region and world, she added. Shinawatra expressed her hope that the two countries’ legislative bodies will continue to improve their respective systems of legal documents for deeper and broader integration in the ASEAN Community by 2015, as committed by ASEAN members. The same day, NA Chairman Hung received representatives from the Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Association and the President of Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarian Group. At the meetings, Hung expressed his pleasure to see the development of comprehensive cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and Thailand and the two legislative bodies. He expressed his hope that both Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association and Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Association will continue to act as a bridge to facilitate the two countries’ bilateral relations and the Vietnamese community in Thailand. He also asked the Vietnam-Thailand and Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarian Groups to promote the two parliaments’ bilateral ties and collaborate closely at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums for peace, stability and development. VNA