Vietnam, Thailand agree to establish strategic partnership   Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra welcomes General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VNA) Visiting General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra following an official welcome ceremony in Bangkok on June 25. At the meeting, General Secretary Trong spoke highly of Thailand’s position and role in the region and the world, affirming that Vietnam always attaches importance to developing and expanding friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Thailand. He conveyed his regards and best wishes to King Bhumibol Adulyadej who is being treated in hospital. For her part, Thai PM Yingluck highly valued General Secretary Trong’s visit, the first of its kind since former General Secretary Do Muoi’s visit 20 years ago, which is taking place as the two countries’ relationship is being lifted to a strategic partnership. During the talks, the two sides informed one another of each country’s situation, discussing directions and measures to strengthen their cooperation, and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern. Both leaders expressed their pleasure at the fine development of the two countries’ relations, especially in the fields of politics, economics and trade since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1976. Last year, two-way trade hit over 8.6 billion USD. Thailand has about 300 valid direct investment projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of 6.12 billion USD. The two leaders appreciated the important role of the business community in expanding and increasing the efficiency of economic, trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand. They reached a consensus on the establishment of a strategic partnership between Vietnam and Thailand with five main pillars, namely political relations; defence and security cooperation; economic cooperation; socio-cultural cooperation; and regional and international cooperation. The leaders agreed to assign relevant departments in both nations to coordinate in building an action plan and concrete roadmap that will lead to an eventual signing of the strategic partnership by the two countries’ Prime Ministers at a joint cabinet meeting slated for October in Thailand. Both leaders agreed to regularly exchange all-level delegations in the future to intensify their friendship and mutual understanding, and to exchange leadership and State management experiences. Boosting exchanges and cooperation between the two ruling Parties and National Assemblies is the most important political basis to develop the two countries’ relations, they said. General Secretary Trong and PM Yingluck said that it is necessary to expand and strengthen people-to-people exchanges in a practical and effective manner, particularly between the two countries’ younger generations. They committed to strive for an annual 20 percent increase in two-way trade to reach the goal of 15 billion USD by 2020, encouraging the prompt signing and implementation of a cooperation agreement on labour affairs. Accordingly, Thailand will receive Vietnamese workers, especially in building infrastructure and strengthening transport links along the East-West Corridor. Vietnam pledges to create favourable conditions for Thai investors and encourages them to invest in the fields of support industry, petro-chemistry, and oil and gas exploration and exploitation. They suggested Vietnam, Thailand and other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) continue intensifying solidarity and cooperation to maintain the central role of the grouping in regional security structure and successfully build an ASEAN Community by 2015, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. They expressed concerns over the recent developments in the East Sea and said that concerned parties should solve disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) and the Declaration on the Conduct of parties in the East Sea (DOC), and ASEAN’s Six-Point Statement. They agreed to soon build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), aimed at ensuring peace, security and maritime safety and freedom in the East Sea. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong invited Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to visit Vietnam again at a suitable time. The Thai PM thanked General Secretary Trong and accepted his invitation. After their talks, the two leaders joined a press conference to announce the outcomes of the meeting. PM Yingluck Shinawatra later in the evening of June 25 hosted a reception for the CPV leader and his entourage. Addressing the reception, the Thai Government leader highlighted the meaning and importance of General Secretary Trong’s visit as well as the establishment of the strategic partnership between the two nations. In response, the Vietnamese leader gave a brief review of the friendship and cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Thailand. He highlighted the historical meaning of the establishment of the strategic partnership between the two countries. He said the announcement of the strategic partnership is of great importance, marking a new period in the relationship between the two Southeast Asian nations and creating new driving force that will deepen the ties for the benefit of the two peoples, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.-VNA