Visiting General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with Thailand’s Prime Minister YingluckShinawatra following an official welcome ceremony in Bangkok on June 25. At the meeting, General Secretary Trong spoke highly of Thailand’sposition and role in the region and the world, affirming that Vietnamalways attaches importance to developing and expanding friendship andmultifaceted cooperation with Thailand. He conveyed his regards and best wishes to King Bhumibol Adulyadej who is being treated in hospital. For her part, Thai PM Yingluck highly valued General Secretary Trong’svisit, the first of its kind since former General Secretary Do Muoi’svisit 20 years ago, which is taking place as the two countries’relationship is being lifted to a strategic partnership. During the talks, the two sides informed one another of each country’ssituation, discussing directions and measures to strengthen theircooperation, and exchanged views on regional and international issues ofmutual concern. Both leaders expressed their pleasure at the fine development of the twocountries’ relations, especially in the fields of politics, economicsand trade since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1976.Last year, two-way trade hit over 8.6 billion USD. Thailand has about 300 valid direct investment projects in Vietnam with atotal registered capital of 6.12 billion USD.The two leaders appreciated the important role of the business communityin expanding and increasing the efficiency of economic, trade andinvestment cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand. They reached a consensus on the establishment of a strategic partnershipbetween Vietnam and Thailand with five main pillars, namely politicalrelations; defence and security cooperation; economic cooperation;socio-cultural cooperation; and regional and international cooperation. The leaders agreed to assign relevant departments in both nations tocoordinate in building an action plan and concrete roadmap that willlead to an eventual signing of the strategic partnership by the twocountries’ Prime Ministers at a joint cabinet meeting slated for Octoberin Thailand. Both leaders agreed to regularly exchange all-level delegations in thefuture to intensify their friendship and mutual understanding, and toexchange leadership and State management experiences. Boosting exchangesand cooperation between the two ruling Parties and National Assembliesis the most important political basis to develop the two countries’relations, they said. General Secretary Trong and PM Yingluck said that it is necessary toexpand and strengthen people-to-people exchanges in a practical andeffective manner, particularly between the two countries’ youngergenerations. They committed to strive for an annual 20 percent increase in two-waytrade to reach the goal of 15 billion USD by 2020, encouraging theprompt signing and implementation of a cooperation agreement on labouraffairs.Accordingly, Thailand will receive Vietnamese workers, especially inbuilding infrastructure and strengthening transport links along theEast-West Corridor. Vietnam pledges to create favourable conditions for Thai investors andencourages them to invest in the fields of support industry,petro-chemistry, and oil and gas exploration and exploitation. They suggested Vietnam, Thailand and other countries in the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) continue intensifying solidarity andcooperation to maintain the central role of the grouping in regionalsecurity structure and successfully build an ASEAN Community by 2015,contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in theregion and the world. They expressed concerns over the recent developments in the East Sea andsaid that concerned parties should solve disputes by peaceful means onthe basis of international law, including the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) and the Declaration onthe Conduct of parties in the East Sea (DOC), and ASEAN’s Six-PointStatement. They agreed to soon build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), aimedat ensuring peace, security and maritime safety and freedom in the EastSea.General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong invited Prime Minister YingluckShinawatra to visit Vietnam again at a suitable time. The Thai PM thanked General Secretary Trong and accepted his invitation.After their talks, the two leaders joined a press conference to announcethe outcomes of the meeting. PM Yingluck Shinawatra later in theevening of June 25 hosted a reception for the CPV leader and hisentourage. Addressing the reception, the Thai Government leader highlighted themeaning and importance of General Secretary Trong’s visit as well as theestablishment of the strategic partnership between the two nations.In response, the Vietnamese leader gave a brief review of the friendshipand cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Thailand. He highlighted the historical meaning of the establishment of the strategic partnership between the two countries. He said the announcement of the strategic partnership is of greatimportance, marking a new period in the relationship between the twoSoutheast Asian nations and creating new driving force that will deepenthe ties for the benefit of the two peoples, and for peace, stability,cooperation and development in the region.-VNA