Thailand and Vietnam Widen Cooperation in Several Areas

(26/06/2012)

Thailand and Vietnam have agreed to widen cooperation in several areas and they will hold the second joint Cabinet retreat in late 2012 to push for further progress. The issue was discussed during the official visit to Thailand of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Doan, Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, from 20 to 24 June. In her talks with the Vietnamese Vice President, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra proposed that both countries cooperate more in agricultural production. Since Thailand and Vietnam are among the world’s top rice exporters, she said, they should forge closer cooperation in rice production techniques and marketing, which would benefit both countries. The Vietnamese Vice President showed her interest in this proposal. In the first stage, she was of the view that Thailand and Vietnam should exchange related information before the establishment of a committee for further cooperation in this area. The Vietnamese Vice President thanked the Thai government for taking good care of Vietnamese workers in Thailand. On this occasion, she invited the Thai Minister of Labor to visit Vietnam to sign an agreement on labor development cooperation. In this regard, Prime Minister Yingluck said that she would ensure gender equality between male and female workers and focus more on labor welfare. Concerning cultural cooperation, the Prime Minister urged Vietnam to cooperate more in cultural exchange by organizing cultural activities to promote better understanding between the people of the two countries. She said that Thailand was ready to cooperate with Vietnam in tourism development, marketing, and publicity. The Vietnamese Vice President proposed that a Vietnamese Cultural Center be set up in Thailand to promote the learning of Vietnamese language and culture. Both sides also wanted to see more cooperation in education through the exchange of students and youths and through technical cooperation at all levels. Prime Minister Yingluck commended Vietnam for attaching great importance to promoting the roles of women. She said that, in an effort to empower Thai women and enhance their potential, the Thai government had set up the National Development Fund for Women, which serves as a funding source for women who want to have greater access to education, employment, and healthcare services. Both Thailand and Vietnam expressed their intention to expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation. At present, Vietnam is Thailand’s fourth largest trading partner in ASEAN. It agreed to host the first meeting of the Joint Trade Committee between the two countries. Prime Minister Yingluck proposed that members of the Thai and Vietnamese private sectors be invited to attend this meeting. The Vietnamese Vice President agreed to the proposal, saying that Vietnam also wanted to see Vietnamese business people invest more in Thailand.