(VOVworld)- Visiting General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra following an official welcome ceremony in Bangkok on Tuesday. They agreed to establish a strategic partnership between Vietnam and Thailand based on five main pillars, namely political relations; defence and security cooperation; economic cooperation; socio-cultural cooperation; and regional and international cooperation. The leaders agreed to coordinate in building an action plan and concrete roadmap that will lead to an eventual signing of the strategic partnership by the two countries’ Prime Ministers at a joint cabinet meeting slated for October in Thailand. Both leaders agreed to intensify their friendship and mutual understanding through regular, all-level delegation exchanges. They stressed the need to boost exchanges and cooperation between the two ruling Parties and National Assemblies which is the most important political basis to develop the two countries’ relations.

Both sides committed an annual 20 percent increase in two-way trade to reach the goal of 15 billion USD by 2020, encouraging the prompt signing and implementation of a cooperation agreement on labour affairs and strengthening transport links along the East-West Corridor.
Vietnam pledged to create favourable conditions for Thai investors and encouraged them to invest in the fields of support industry, petro-chemistry, and oil and gas exploration and exploitation.

Both leaders suggested Vietnam, Thailand and other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) continue to intensify solidarity and cooperation to maintain the central role of the grouping in regional security structure and successfully build an ASEAN Community by 2015, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. They expressed concerns over the recent developments in the East Sea and said that concerned parties should solve disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and ASEAN’s Six-Point Statement. Vietnam and Thailand agreed to soon build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), aimed at ensuring peace, security and maritime safety and freedom in the East Sea.

At a press conference after the talks, the two leaders officially announced the establishment of the strategic partnership between the two countries. Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong said: "We highly appreciate the long lasting traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand and strongly believed that the two countries have the necessary and favorable conditions to elevate the bilateral ties for the benefit of the two peoples, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region. On such a foundation, we agree to establish the Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Thailand. Within the framework of the new relation, our bilateral ties will further develop in all fields in the near future”.

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she hoped Vietnam would create favorable conditions for Thai investors to operate in Vietnam and benefit from the connection of the transport links along the East-West corridor and Mekong River. The Thai Prime Minister said:“We fully agree that cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand is within the framework of ASEAN’s cooperation. As a coordinator, Thailand is ready to encourage China to participate in negotiation on settling differences between ASEAN and China. In addition, this is an opportunity for our two countries to further develop and heighten bilateral cooperation”.

The same day, the Thai Prime Minister hosted a banquette in honor of Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong and the Vietnamese delegation.