At 3:00 PM on May 16, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra paid an official courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Luong Cuong, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi during her official visit to Vietnam.
The two leaders discussed a broad range of issues and reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation in all dimensions. They expressed mutual trust in their strategic partnership, particularly within the Mekong sub-region, and celebrated the recent upgrade of Thailand-Vietnam relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Both sides pledged to advance cooperation with tangible outcomes and emphasized the vital role of the people in supporting state-level relations.
The leaders agreed on the importance of building trust and increasing high-level contact, especially between their defense ministries and armed forces. They supported the creation of a High-Level Committee (HLC) on military cooperation to strengthen security collaboration, including cyber security, defense industry development, drug and transnational crime prevention, and joint efforts against online fraud affecting citizens of both countries.
Both sides also emphasized the need to boost trade and investment, targeting a bilateral trade volume of USD 25 billion. They committed to removing trade barriers, streamlining customs procedures, and integrating key industries. Thailand also welcomed Vietnamese private sector investment to enhance mutual economic benefits across supply chains.
They further praised the strong ties between Thai and Vietnamese people, including the ethnic Vietnamese community in northeastern Thailand, which acts as a cultural bridge. Plans were announced to promote tourism and local economic development through provincial partnerships, joint PR campaigns, roadshows, and over 20 sister-city business matchmaking events.
The leaders concluded by affirming their intention to maintain continuous dialogue at bilateral and multilateral levels, in pursuit of peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.