Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chí Thành. — VNA/VNS Photo

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chí Thành talks to Vietnam News Agency reporter in Bangkok about the bilateral relationship between the two countries ahead of the official visit by the National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ to Thailand from December 7-10.

What is the significance of the official visit by National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ for the relations between Việt Nam and Thailand?

Accepting the invitation from President of the Thai National Assembly Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ and the high-level delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly will make an official visit to Thailand from December 7-10. The visit takes place in the context of Thailand successfully organising parliamentary elections in May and establishing a new government. Chairman Huệ is the first head of a foreign legislative body to visit Thailand during their new parliamentary term.

2023 is also the year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership between Việt Nam and Thailand. During the visit, NA Chairman Huệ will hold discussions and exchanges with the highest-level leaders of Thailand, meet with deputies, politicians, scholars, and business representatives, and visit Udon Thani Province, home to the largest Vietnamese expatriate community. This visit holds great significance and can be considered a culminating event for the commemorative year of the Việt Nam-Thailand strategic partnership in 2023.

In recent years, relations between Việt Nam and Thailand have been strengthened and developed rapidly, especially in parliamentary and inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The official visit reaffirms the high-level leadership support of both countries for the action plan implementing the enhanced strategic partnership in the 2022-2027 period between Việt Nam and Thailand. Within this framework are activities such as high-level delegation exchanges between the two National Assemblies and strengthened collaboration in multilateral and regional forums like APPF, IPU, and AIPA.

Can you tell us the viewpoint and assessment of the partner country regarding the current relationship?

The Thai National Assembly has prepared a very thoughtful and respectful visit for the Vietnamese NA delegation with a dense schedule of activities, meetings, and discussions between our National Assembly Chairman and the highest-ranking leaders of Thailand, showing that the partner deeply appreciates the friendly relations and excellent cooperation between the two countries.

Việt Nam and Thailand are two countries with essential roles in ASEAN. In a highly complex global situation, Việt Nam and Thailand must strengthen unity and cooperation at all levels.

Thailand's political, academic, and research community awaits Chairman Huệ's speech at Chulalongkorn University, the country's foremost policy research institution. They are keen to understand the future direction of the relationship between Việt Nam and Thailand and how the two countries will contribute to addressing global and regional issues.

Thai businesses continue to view Việt Nam as a critical market and an attractive investment destination in Thailand. Thai corporations are actively promoting substantial investments in the Vietnamese market. Our National Assembly plays a crucial role in enacting legislation and policies to boost foreign cooperation in investment and trade. So, Thai enterprises eagerly anticipate the meeting between the NA Chairman Huệ and businesses at the policy and legal forum to enhance economic, commerce, and investment cooperation between Việt Nam and Thailand.

The year 2023 also marks the 10th anniversary of Thailand and Việt Nam upgrading their relationship to a "Strategic Partnership." Can you please highlight some critical points of this relationship milestone and share your assessment of the prospects for future cooperation between the two countries?

2023 is a significant milestone for the Việt Nam-Thailand relationship as the two countries celebrate ten years of their strategic partnership. Both sides have organised meaningful activities for this special occasion.

Leaders of both countries, especially the deputy prime ministers and the chairpersons of the National Assemblies, have met on the sidelines of various multilateral conferences to promote bilateral relations as a good tradition. The Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly and his Thai counterpart met on the sidelines of the AIPA 43 and 44 conferences in Cambodia in November 2022 and Indonesia in August 2023, respectively. The two prime ministers also met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2023.

The official visit of the Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Parnpree Bahiddha-Ankara, to Việt Nam in October was the first visit by the head of Thai diplomacy during the new government's term. Both sides assessed the results of 10 years of implementing the strategic partnership, agreeing that the relationship has developed exceptionally well, and it is time for the two countries to upgrade to a comprehensive strategic partnership that is commensurate with their ties.

The visit by Chairman Huệ is a new and significant milestone in parliamentary cooperation between the two countries. Both sides will sign a cooperation agreement between the National Assemblies and the two Parliamentary Offices, elevating parliamentary collaboration to a higher and more profound level.

The preparation for elevating the bilateral relationship to a new level is poised to unlock numerous potentials and opportunities for both sides to enhance cooperation in all aspects, especially in the implementation of economic, trade, and tourism activities, with a particular focus on improving connectivity in road, rail, air and maritime transportation.

The expected documents to be signed will outline various measures to deepen further and substantiate parliamentary relations, as well as discussions with Thai leaders on the framework of cooperation in other fields. These include high-level parliamentary exchanges, committee interactions, enhanced interactions between lawmakers, and collaboration between the two Parliamentary Offices. There will also be an emphasis on strengthening oversight of the implementation of signed agreements, collaboration in citizen protection efforts, and sharing experiences in legal development and mutual concerns. — VNS