Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary and State President To Lam hosted receptions for the ambassadors of Thailand, Comoros, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Suriname to Vietnam, who came to present their credentials to the top leader in Hanoi on October 18.

Receiving Thai Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya, Lam expressed his belief that with her experience and dynamism, the diplomat will help the bilateral relations grow further.

He asked the ambassador to convey his regards to the King of Thailand and thanked the Thai Government for sending sympathy, encouragement, and timely relief to Vietnam in the wake of the serious losses caused by Typhoon Yagi in the northern region.

The leader lauded the extensive and practical development of the Vietnam - Thailand strategic partnership, stating that Thailand remains an important partner of Vietnam in the region.

Vietnam always attaches importance to promoting trade and investment ties with Thailand, one of the largest trading partners and also the second biggest investor of the former in ASEAN, he stressed, adding that cooperation in culture, tourism and education, locality-to-locality ties, along with people-to-people exchanges have been fostered via various forms.

Lam called on the ambassador to coordinate with Vietnamese agencies to step up trade and investment promotion, economic connection, as well as business and locality matching activities to help raise bilateral trade to 25 billion USD soon.

He suggested that as Thailand plays an important role in the Mekong cooperation frameworks, including the Greater Mekong Sub-region, it should coordinate in the management, development, and efficient and sustainable use of the Mekong River’s water resources.

The two sides also need to pay due attention to implementing the “Three Connections” strategy on the basis of mutual benefits. In particular, they should connect supply chains and such strategic areas as transport, tourism, digital economy, green economy, and energy transition, he noted.

The top leader underlined that security-defence is another important pillar in the bilateral cooperation. He held that the two countries should strengthen coordination and information exchange in the prevention and combat of transnational crimes and anti-terrorism, ensuring that no individual or organisation is allowed to use the territory of one country to harm the other.

Hailing the effective coordination between the two countries at multilateral and regional organisations and forums such as ASEAN, UN and APEC, Lam said that the two sides should continue to promote collaboration, contributing to deepening the cooperation and connectivity process of the ASEAN Community, strengthening intra-bloc unity and solidarity within ASEAN, promoting the central role and common voice of ASEAN in regional strategic issues, including the East Sea matter.

The ambassador said that the King of Thailand is very interested in Vietnam and he had extended his congratulations to Lam following his election as the Party General Secretary and President of Vietnam, and sent his sympathy to Vietnam over losses caused by Typhoon Yagi.

The diplomat congratulated Vietnam on becoming one of the 20 countries with the fastest growing economies in the world, attributing the result to the important role and contribution of the leaders of the Party, State and people of Vietnam.

Highlighting the close relations between the two countries with regular delegation exchanges at high and all levels, Urawadee agreed with the top Vietnamese leader’s suggestions for her working tenure which coincides with the celebration of the 55th anniversary of the Vietnam-Thailand diplomatic relations.

She pledged that during her working term, she will focus on boosting cooperation between the two countries across all fields from economy, trade, and investment to culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange, contributing to promoting the bilateral ties to a new height for the benefit of the Thai and Vietnamese people.

In the afternoon of the same day, the Vietnamese top leader received the Ambassadors from Comoros, Burkina Faso, Niger and Suriname.

Lam affirmed that after nearly 40 years of Doi moi (renewal), Vietnam, from a war-ravaged nation, has been known as a symbol of peace, stability, and hospitality as well as an attractive destination for international tourists and investors.

As the world is undergoing a historic transformation that brings both opportunities and challenges, Vietnam continues staying steadfast with its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation of external relations and being a friend, a trustworthy partner, and an active and responsible member of the international community.

He expressed his hope that the relations between Vietnam and the four countries will further thrive on the back of the diplomats’ positive contributions./.