The 30-year cooperative relationshhip between Vietnam and Thailand has fortified a strong foundation meaning bilateral relations are now at a new high.
On August 6, 1976, Vietnam and Thailand initiated diplomatic relations. This event marked a milestone in the friendship cooperative relations between the two countries and two peoples and opened a new era in the Vietnam-Thailand relationship.
The bilateral Vietnam-Thailand relationship has been strongly developed in recent years, especially since Vietnam joined ASEAN in 1995. Both Vietnam and Thailand mutually agreed on the importance of building up a strong ASEAN community to act as a support for the community security, economy and social benefits.
All-faceted cooperation
To date, Vietnam has signed nearly 30 bilateral conventions and agreements in various economic, cultural and social fields with Thailand, the most in the region.
In trade, the two sides are actively cooperating in rice exportation. Vietnam mainly exports seafood, mineral, leather, rice, coffee and fruits to Thailand while importing motorbikes, PVC, paint, steel pipes, consumer goods, electronics products, furniture, motorbike and automobile parts, sports instruments, computers and garment and textile materials.
In foreign direct investment, Thailand is the ninth largest foreign investor in Vietnam with 125 projects valued US$1.5 billion. Thai-invested projects are mainly of small size specialising in exploitation of seafood and material, processing of food and banking. More and more Thai enterprises are arriving in Vietnam to seek business opportunities.
I addition, the two countries have also strengthened cultural and educational cooperation activities. Annually, Thailand grants many scholarships to Vietnamese students and civil servants. Competent authorities of the two sides are intensifying university and post-university training cooperation, with much priority to technology, health, foreign language and IT fields.
On the regional and international forums, Thailand and Vietnam always treasure and wish to boost their relations within the framework of those forums like ASEAN, ACMECS and GMS. Thailand backed Vietnam to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and to run for the impermanent member of the United Nations Security Council in the 2008-2009 tenure.
Bringing relations to a new high
In its foreign relation policy with Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam always appreciates the expansion of the friendship and cooperative ties with Thailand. Vietnam and Thailand are both members of ASEAN. Boosting the two-sided cooperative relations not only benefits the peoples of Thailand and Vietnam but also plays an active role in intensifying solidarity in the ASEAN bloc and increasing the role and position of ASEAN in the regional and the international arena.
During last year’s official visit to Vietnam by Foreign Minister of Thailand Kantathi Suphamongkhon, both sides expressed the determination to bring the Vietnam-Thailand relation to a new high. The bilateral trade turnover will reach US$5 billion in a couple of years.
The all-faceted Vietnam-Thailand relation is being developed. From the aforementioned achievements, the two countries will strive to bring cooperative ties to a new high. The two-way trade turnover rapidly increased from US$352.6 million in 1994 to US$1.12 billion in 2001 and an estimated US$3.5-3.8 billion in 2006.
Thu Huyen
Vietnamese
