VOV: Could you please review important landmarks in diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Thailand during the 30 past years?
Mr Hung: The last 30 years has been a path of great historic significance for Vietnam-Thailand relations as we have witnessed drastic changes. Since the mid 1990s, in accordance with positive changes in the regional situation, bilateral relations have developed rapidly and strongly. Mutual understanding and multi-faceted cooperation have been strengthened bilaterally and multilaterally.
In August, 1976 the two countries officially established diplomatic ties and opened embassies in each capital city in early 1978.
Between 1992-1998, many visits were conducted between high-ranking delegations from each country. The most prominent event was the 1993 official Thailand visit by former Party General Secretary Do Muoi and the 1998 official visit to Thailand by former State President Tran Duc Luong. The Thai Prince and Princess also visited Vietnam in 1992 and 1997 respectively.
During such visits, numerous cooperative agreements were signed. To date, the two countries signed more than 30 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs). Among those worthy of note was the sea border demarcation agreement signed on August 9, 1997. The signing of such agreements and MoUs havs significantly contributed to promoting bilateral cooperation in various fields and many prolonged pending issues have been resolved.
In early 2004, the two countries successfully organised the first joint cabinet meeting in order to build a new cooperative mechanism between the two governments. On this occasion, the two sides also signed a joint statement on a cooperation framework in the first decade of the 21st century and around 10 other important agreements.
Notably, economic and trade ties have made great strides as two-way trade turnover has rapidly increased, from millions of US$ in the 1970s to hundreds of millions of US$ in the 1990s and even billions since 2001.
Two-way trade value reached US$3.2 billion in 2005 and is expected to hit US$3.6 billion in 2006.
Thailand is now the 11th largest investor in Vietnam with more than 132 projects, worth US$1.5 billion.
Vietnam’s official admission to ASEAN since 1995 opened up cooperative opportunities for the two countries within the region.
Nowadays, bilateral cooperation has expanded at different forums, such as the Association of the South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), The Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) APEC and Mekong Greater Sub-region (GMS).
VOV: How have the positive relations and successful cooperation between the two countries impacted on the region and the world?
Mr Hung: Thailand and Vietnam play an important role in Southeast Asia, in the ASEAN bloc, as well as in the regional and sub-regional cooperation framework.
Developments in traditional, friendly relations between the two countries over the past years have greatly contributed to stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.
Southeant Asia is now becoming one of the most dynamic regions in the world, and ASEAN is considered the most successful regional organisation. This is attributed to active contributions from member countries, good relations and close cooperation among member countries, in which Thailand and Vietnam are prominent.
VOV: What will we focus on in the coming period to boost relations with Thailand?
Mr Hung: Under the high-level agreement at the first Vietnam-Thailand joint cabinet meeting in February 2004, bilateral relations will develop based on the three main pillars of political security, economics, and culture.
From the three pillars, Vietnam and Thailand need to increase and consolidate mutual understanding and trust, maintain and boost activities within the available cooperation mechanism, promote the potential of each country, implement signed agreements, and expand new fields of cooperation.
The two countries need to maintain regular visits and exchanges of high-ranking leaders from ministries, organisations and localities, and boost the role and activities of the Vietnam-Thailand and Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Associations.
Vietnam and Thailand also need to bolster current cooperative mechanisms, such as annual joint cabinet meetings, the joint committee for bilateral cooperation, the working group on Vietnam-Thailand political and security cooperation, the trade sub-committee and rice export mechanism.
The two countries should further cooperate in trade and investment to raise bilateral trade turnover to US$5 billion while Vietnam should create more favourable conditions for Thai business groups to invest in Vietnam.
Vietnam and Thailand need to expand cooperation in potentially prosperous fields, including energy, science and technology, agriculture, forestry, seafood farming, transport, post and telecommunications, aviation, finance and banking.
Aside from bilateral relations, Vietnam and Thailand also need to boost cooperation between regional and international organisations such as the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Mekong Greater Sub-region (GMS) and the World Trade Organisation after Vietnam joins the world’s largest trade body.
VOV: Thank you.
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