General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President of Việt Nam Tô Lâm (left) meets Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul during a meeting in Bangkok on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

BANGKOK — Việt Nam and Thailand reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations during high-level talks in Bangkok on Thursday as both countries mark 50 years of diplomatic ties from 1976 to 2026.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President of Việt Nam Tô Lâm held discussions with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul following an official welcome ceremony at Government House.

Prime Minister Anutin welcomed the visit and highlighted the strong political trust between Thailand and Việt Nam.

Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm thanked Thailand for the warm reception and reaffirmed Việt Nam’s consistent priority of advancing the Việt Nam–Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership amid global geopolitical and economic challenges.

He congratulated Thailand on its socio-economic achievements, recovery and its position as one of Southeast Asia’s largest economies and a leading global tourism hub.

Party leader Tô Lâm also commended Thailand’s efforts in promoting science and technology, the digital economy and digital transformation.

He expressed confidence that under PM Anutin, Thailand would achieve further success in implementing its socio-economic plans and strengthening its regional and global role.

Leaders and delegates at the talks.

At the talks, the two leaders noted robust and substantive progress across the relationship, with consolidated political trust, deepening defence and security cooperation, steady growth in trade and investment and expanded ties in local cooperation, culture, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

Both sides agreed to maintain high-level contacts across all channels and strengthen existing cooperation mechanisms, including the fifth Việt Nam–Thailand Joint Cabinet meeting in Thailand and an early session of the Joint Commission between the two foreign ministers.

They will deepen defence and security cooperation, step up coordination against transnational crime, cybercrime and drugs and strengthen maritime safety. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment not to allow any individual or organisation to use either country’s territory to act against the other and to accelerate negotiations on extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties.

On the economic front, both sides agreed to boost connectivity for complementary growth, aim to raise two-way trade from US$22 billion to $25 billion in the near term, ensure balanced and sustainable trade, expedite licensing procedures and open markets for potential agricultural products.

PM Anutin underscored Việt Nam as one of Thailand’s leading partners and encouraged stronger private-sector linkages, welcoming greater Vietnamese investment.

Tô Lâm proposed the establishment of a joint working group to implement a Three Connections strategy covering supply chains, business and locality linkages and sustainable development strategies. He also called for enhanced transport and logistics connectivity and expanded cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, the digital and green economies, innovation and a just energy transition.

Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul witnessed the exchange of the action programme to implement the Vietnam–Thailand comprehensive strategic partnership for 2026–2031 at Government House in Bangkok on Thursday.

The leaders agreed to promote science and technology collaboration, including AI and semiconductors. Thailand proposed joint projects in biotechnology and microbiology and expressed readiness to share experience in space applications and satellite use.

They stressed the importance of strengthening people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in culture, education and tourism, including sharing experience in tourism development, linking products and destinations, particularly in marine, cultural and culinary tourism, while facilitating Vietnamese and Thai communities in each country, expanding Vietnamese and Thai language teaching and preserving historic and cultural sites, including President Hồ Chí Minh memorials in Thailand.

Việt Nam and Thailand will continue close coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums, uphold ASEAN centrality and solidarity and enhance cooperation within APEC and Mekong sub-regional mechanisms. They reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability, ensuring freedom and safety of navigation and overflight and settling disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

The leaders tasked ministries and agencies with promptly implementing the outcomes of the visit to advance the partnership substantively and effectively.

Following the talks, they witnessed the signing of the Action Programme to implement the Việt Nam–Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for 2026–2031 and the exchange of cooperation documents in science and technology and education. — VNS