National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn (right) and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn met with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is in Việt Nam for an official visit and attendance at the third ASEAN Future Forum, in Hà Nội on Monday.

Welcoming Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and the high-level delegation of the Royal Thai Government, Chairman Mẫn emphasised that following the success of the recent official visit to Thailand by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and State President Tô Lâm, this visit would serve as a new impetus for Việt Nam–Thailand cooperation to develop in a more practical and effective manner, meeting the development needs of both countries in the new phase, particularly as the two nations celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

PM Anutin Charnvirakul expressed his pleasure at making his first official visit to Việt Nam and thanked Chairman Mẫn for receiving the delegation. He conveyed greetings and an invitation from the Speaker of the Thai NA for Chairman Mẫn to pay an official visit to Thailand.

The Thai PM noted that the two countries share a long-standing and close cooperative relationship. Thailand was once a place where President Hồ Chí Minh lived and carried out revolutionary activities, while generations of Vietnamese people who have successfully settled and worked in northeastern Thailand have become important bridges of friendship between the two nations.

Affirming that Thailand highly values its comprehensive cooperation with Việt Nam, PM Anutin expressed his hope that the Vietnamese National Assembly would continue supporting efforts to make the Việt Nam–Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership increasingly substantive and effective.

The host praised the strong and comprehensive development of the Việt Nam–Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across all fields, particularly politics, defence, security, economics, culture, tourism, local cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. He reaffirmed that Việt Nam consistently attaches importance to and prioritises its friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Thailand.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive progress in parliamentary relations between the two countries. Based on the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between Việt Nam’s National Assembly and Thailand’s House of Representatives, signed in 2023, both sides agreed to continue exchanges of delegations at all levels, expand interactions between parliamentary friendship groups, especially the Việt Nam–Thailand Parliamentary Friendship Group, as well as among women and young parliamentarians, while maintaining close coordination at multilateral forums.

Regarding future cooperation, the two leaders agreed to continue strengthening political trust and maintaining exchanges of high-level and other delegations; effectively implement the Action Programme for the Việt Nam–Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 2026–2031 period; enhance parliamentary cooperation and further promote the role of parliamentary friendship groups.

The two sides will expand exchanges among women and young parliamentarians, and specialised agencies of the two legislatures; and increase the sharing of legislative and oversight experience.

Both sides also agreed to strengthen connectivity between their economies, effectively implement the “Three Connects” Strategy, promote bilateral trade with the goal of reaching US$25 billion in trade turnover at an early date, expand cooperation in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation, and further promote people-to-people exchanges.

Chairman Mẫn thanked the Thai Government and expressed his hope that it would continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Thailand to actively participate in local economic and social life and serve as an important bridge of friendship between the two peoples.

On regional and international issues of mutual concern, the leaders agreed to continue close coordination within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Mekong subregional cooperation mechanisms. They also agreed to promote subregional economic cooperation, sustainable management and use of Mekong River water resources, and efforts to minimise the negative impacts of development and water utilisation activities.

On this occasion, through the Thai Prime Minister, the top legislator extended his best wishes and invitations to Speaker of the House of Representatives Sophon Zaram and President of the Senate Mongkol Surasajja Mongkol Surasajja to pay official visits to Việt Nam in the near future. — VNA/VNS