VN, Thailand pledge to move forward to strategic partnership

The following is the full text of the Joint Statement:

1. As agreed upon by the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, H.E. Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam Nguyen Tan Dung and H.E. Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra co-chaired the Second Thailand – Viet Nam Joint Cabinet Retreat on October 27^th, 2012 in Ha Noi.

2. The Thai delegation at the Joint Cabinet Retreat included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Kittiratt Na-Ranong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism and Sports Chumpol Silapa-archa, Ministers of Defence, Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Social Development and Human Security, Labour, and Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, Ambassador of Thailand to Viet Nam and senior officials of the Government of Thailand. The Vietnamese delegation included Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh, Ministers of Defence, Public Security, Foreign Affairs, Minister-Chairmen of the Government Office, Committee for Ethnic Minorities; Planning and Investment; Industry and Trade; Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Culture, Sports and Tourism, Finance, Transportation, Education and Training, Ambassador of Viet Nam to Thailand and senior officials of the Government of Viet Nam.

3. In their opening remarks, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra underlined the importance of the Second Joint Cabinet Retreat between the Governments of Viet Nam and Thailand, which represented progress in bilateral traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation. The two Prime Ministers expressed confidence that the Joint Cabinet Retreat would create new momentum for further progress in the existing good bilateral cooperation in the coming years, contributing to each country’s socio-economic development, maintaining peace and stability and enhancing cooperation and prosperity in the region and the world. Following the Opening Ceremony, the two Prime Ministers held closed talks and the Ministers of the two Governments discussed in three thematic groups on Political and Security, Economic, and Social, Cultural and Educational issues.

4. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra noted with satisfaction the progress and development of the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Viet Nam and Thailand over the past 36 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations on August 6^th, 1976. Exchanges of high-level delegations had been conducted on a regular basis with a view to enhancing mutual trust and understanding. Bilateral cooperation continued to deepen and expand. In addition to good political relations, cooperation between the two countries had been thriving in many fields. Cooperation in security and defence had been continually strengthened and expanded. Economic, trade and investment cooperation had become increasingly productive. Bilateral trade had seen continual growth, amounting to some US$ 8.17 billion in 2011. Thailand had 292 projects at work in Viet Nam with the accumulated capital of US$ 6 billion, ranking 10^th among the 96 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam.

5. The two Prime Ministers highly appreciated the results of group meetings and agreed on measures to further strengthen the existing good relations between the two countries.

5.1 With regard to political and security issues, the two sides agreed to maintain and promote exchange of visits and contacts at all levels, develop and effectively implement the various phases of the “Action Plan” for bolstering cooperation. The two sides agreed to strengthen existing cooperation mechanisms including the Joint Cabinet Retreat, the Joint Consultative Mechanism, the Joint Commission, the Joint Trade Committee, the Joint Working Group on Political and Security Cooperation, the Political Consultation Group. Both sides agreed to expand and strengthen cooperation in combating trans-national crime, particularly trafficking in women and children, enhance cooperation to combat terrorism both in bilateral and multilateral frameworks, establish a Working Group with a view to increase information exchange and to find proper solutions to the issue of illegal fishing activities in the sea area of each country. The two sides also discussed issues related to consular cooperation with a view to establishing an Agreement on Consular Cooperation. The two sides reaffirmed that they would not allow any individuals and hostile forces to use their territories for activities against the other country.

5.2. On economic cooperation, both sides welcomed the outcomes of the 1^st Joint Trade Committee meeting on July 2012 in Ha Noi, affirmed the determination to step up trade promotion programs, enhance cooperation between businesses of the two countries, strive to achieve the target of 20% annual growth in two-way trade in the 2012-2015 period, promote trade and investment cooperation between the two countries on GMS, East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) frameworks and conduct study on ways and means to facilitate transport of passengers and goods on other potential routes including Route No.8 and No. 12 linking Thailand-the Lao PDR and Viet Nam which were not part of GMS CBTA designated routes. Both sides agreed to continue to enhance cooperation in producing, processing and exporting rice, enhance cooperation in industry and energy, boost connectivity between the two countries by developing new airline routes between provinces of the two countries in the time to come. The two sides also welcomed the establishment of the Thailand-Viet Nam and the Viet Nam-Thailand Business Councils and encouraged closer cooperation between the private sectors of both countries.

5.3. On cultural, social and educational cooperation, the two sides reaffirmed their cooperation in enhancing vocational training, labour and social welfare as well as expediting the signing of the MOU on Labour Cooperation. The two countries agreed to intensify the areas of cooperation of the Joint Working Group on Educational Cooperation, to increase cultural, and art activities and sport exchanges between the two countries, promote cooperation in education and training, share teaching experience, promote exchange among students and teachers, encourage the teaching of Vietnamese and Thai languages at schools and universities in each country.

6. To elevate bilateral ties to a strategic level in the time to come, the two Prime Ministers agreed to task the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of each country to work as the focal point for coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies to work out the specific elements of and roadmap for upgrading bilateral ties to strategic partnership in the interest of the two peoples for peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region and the world at large.

7. With regard to ASEAN cooperation, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra agreed that the two countries would work closely with each other and with other ASEAN countries to successfully realize the goal of an ASEAN Community by 2015, strengthen unity cooperation and intra-ASEAN integration, maintain ASEAN’s central role in regional institutions. The two sides reiterated their determination to work closely with other riparian countries to ensure sustainable use of water resources in the Mekong River.

8. The two Prime Ministers exchanged views on the recent developments in the East Sea (South China Sea) and underlined the importance of peace, stability, and maritime security and safety in the East Sea (South China Sea), resolve disputes in peaceful manner on the basis of conforming to the law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), ASEAN’s declaration of 6-Point Principles on the South China Sea and resume discussion towards the adoption of the  Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). Viet Nam believed that Thailand, in its capacity as the coordinating country for ASEAN-China relations (2012-2015), would help further promote ASEAN-China strategic partnership, actively contributing to peace, stability, security and development in the region. 

9. At the end of the Meeting, the two Prime Ministers witnessed the signing ceremony of the Joint Statement of the Second Viet Nam-Thailand Joint Cabinet Retreat, the Joint Statement on Thailand - Viet Nam Security Outlook for 2012-2016 and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Establishment of the Thailand – Viet Nam and the Viet Nam – Thailand Business Councils.

10. The Second Viet Nam – Thailand Joint Cabinet Retreat was concluded with great success. The two sides affirmed the willingness to maintain and promote the effectiveness of the Joint Cabinet Retreat mechanism in the coming time with a view to elevating the bilateral ties to a higher level towards strategic partnership. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra expressed gratitude to the Government and people of Viet Nam for the warm hospitality accorded to the Thai Delegation. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra extended an invitation to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for an official visit to Thailand in the coming time. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung accepted the invitation with pleasure. The time of the visit would be arranged through the diplomatic channel.

            IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorized by their respective Governments, have signed this Joint Statement.

            DONE at Ha Noi on the 27^th Day of October 2012, in duplicate in the English language./.