Post ASEAN: New vision for Vietnam, Thailand maritime cooperation
(VOV) - A conference on November 27 in Bangkok focused particularly on how Vietnam-Thailand maritime cooperation should move forward positively within the context of the ASEAN Community Post-2015.
In a keynote address, Vietnam Ambassador to Thailand Nguyen Tat Thanh said both nations have been implementing a five-year action plan aimed at protecting the environment and natural resources.
Most importantly, Thanh said ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation in the East Sea was a top priority of their vision for management and sustainability of the region’s waterways.
Deputy Director Patcharawalai Wongboonsin of the ASEAN Studies Centre in turn emphasized that it was important for the two nations to assess their cooperation in light of the real situation and ASEAN in a well thought out and coordinated fashion.
At the event, panelists discussed ASEAN’s regional strategies and potential systematized actions towards sustainable management of natural resources and the maritime environment for the benefits of both nations and the whole region.
On the sidelines of the event, Ambassador Thanh and President of Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Association Prachuab Chaiyasan cut the ribbon opening a one-week photo exhibition on Vietnam’s sea and islands.