Thailand and Vietnam's cabinets to meet for third timeThai, Vietnam cabinets to meet
The third joint-Cabinet meeting between Thailand and Vietnam will be held in Bangkok next week when Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung leads his ministers to the Kingdom, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.
The meetings were initiated in 2004 to forge closer ties between the two governments, as the nations became strategic partners and strengthened cooperation in all dimensions. The second joint-Cabinet meeting was held in 2012.
Dung will arrive in Thailand on Thursday and will discuss with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha various issues including labour cooperation, promoting investment; expanding bilateral trade; cooperating on agricultural products and fisheries; the development of transport and connectivity; and cooperating on regional and international issues, according to the Foreign Ministry statement.
The discussion will also focus on enhancing cooperation in other key areas of mutual interest such as defence; combating transnational crime, especially drug and human trafficking; the exchange of languages, culture and sports; tourism; and provincial relations.
Other areas of discussion will include scheduled bus services between the countries and developing coastal shipping for the transport of goods and people.
The ministry said the two premiers would witness the signing of five documents: the joint statement of the third joint-Cabinet meeting; a memorandum of understanding on labour cooperation; an agreement on the employment of workers; a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a friendship between Ubon Ratchathani and Vietnam province Kon Tum; and a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a friendship between Trat and Vietnam province Long An.
During the visit, Dung will speak at an investment seminar entitled “Thailand-Vietnam Enterprise Dialogue” to be hosted by the Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Association, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Board of Investment.
Around 30 Vietnamese businesspeople accompanying Prime Minister Dung on the visit will attend the seminar and engage in business matching and networking with Thai private sector companies.
