Defense ties contribute to bolstering Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership

On February 22 afternoon, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha received the Vietnamese Defense Minister and his entourage at the Thai Governmental Office.

At the meeting, General Lich thanked the Thai Prime Minister for the reception and expressed condolences of the Vietnamese Party, State and people to the Thai Queen, Royal Family, Government, National Legislature Assembly and people on the decease of beloved Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The guest highly appreciated the King’s good sentiment for Vietnam and his great contributions to the bilateral relationship between Thailand and Vietnam in the past.

Thai PM receives General Ngo Xuan Lich.

The guest briefed the host on the outcomes of the meeting between the Vietnamese and Thai military delegations. General Lich confirmed that Vietnam prioritizes comprehensive cooperation with Thailand, particularly in the defense sphere, saying that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense will continuously promote close and effective cooperation with the Thai Defense Ministry. He wished that the Thai Prime Minister would support and create favorable conditions for the bilateral defense ties, contributing to bolstering the Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership.

General Lich thanked the Thai leadership and people for their good sentiment for Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh as well as for their efficient support for overseas Vietnamese in the country. He also thanked the Thai Government for their providing information about Vietnamese martyrs in the Thai province of Nong Khai, asking the Prime Minister to instruct relevant Thai agencies and organizations to support the Vietnamese side in collecting and repatriating remains of fallen Vietnamese soldiers currently in the Thai localities, as well as to provide information relating to other fallen and missing Vietnamese troops in the Vietnamese wars for national independence and country reunification.

Hailing the fruitful results of the talks between the two military delegations and achievements in the bilateral defense cooperation over the past time, the Thai Prime Minister suggested that the two armies should boost cooperation on the basis of the signed agreements between the two sides and seek new cooperation potentials in the current context. The Thai Prime Minister confirmed that he will support and create best conditions for the Thai side to boost defense ties and cooperation with the Vietnamese side.

The host also said that Thailand and Vietnam are the two neighboring countries that have traditional friendship, high mutual trust, growing relations and comprehensive cooperation, including in the defense sphere. As Vietnam and Thailand share maritime border, the two countries should build on neighborliness, said the Thai Prime Minister, and Vietnam and Thailand should join efforts in strengthening ASEAN with the aim of promoting its unity and its central role in regional multilateral mechanisms.

The Thai Prime Minister also vowed to direct relevant Thai ministries and agencies to collaborate closely with the Vietnamese side in dealing with issues of mutual concern, particularly maritime violations by fishermen of the two countries, in line with international law and on the basis of traditional friendship of the two countries.  

Earlier, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, General Prawit Wongsuwon, had hosted an official reception for Vietnamese Defense Minister, General Ngo Xuan Lich and his entourage at the Thai Defense Headquarters.

After the reception, the two delegations held talks. The Thai Defense Minister warmly welcomed the Vietnamese Defense Minister and high-ranking military delegation to Thailand, saying that the visit would contribute significantly to strengthening bilateral defense ties in particular and strategic partnership between Vietnam and Thailand in general. The host high valued Vietnam’s position in the region, and wanted to expand comprehensive relations and cooperation with Vietnam, including in the defense domain.

For his part, General Lich thanked the host for the warm reception, saying that development of defense ties will make a large contribution to the Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership.

The two ministers expressed pleasure over the fine results of bilateral defense cooperation over the past time, particularly in delegation exchange, personnel training, information sharing, naval and air force cooperation.

To continue effective cooperation under the inked agreements between the two sides, the two defense ministers agreed that the two sides will enhance visit exchange, exchange of young officers and mid-ranking officers, training cooperation, and naval and air force cooperation, while pushing up for the Defense Policy Dialogue at the Deputy-Ministerial Level, the establishment of a hotline between the two defense ministries, and bolstering cooperation between the two sides’ maritime law enforcement forces.

The two defense ministers also underlined the need to seek other areas of cooperation, such as bilateral cooperation between border forces, cooperation between the two sides’ UN peacekeeping forces and humanitarian mine action forces, as well as to hold consultations and support each other at multilateral forums, especially the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM+.

The two defense ministers also agreed to boost cooperation and coordination between the two sides’ relevant agencies in disseminating information and educating maritime laws for fishermen of the two countries as well as in dealing with cases in line with the traditional friendship between Thailand and Vietnam.

Within the framework of the visit, Defense Minister, General Ngo Xuan Lich, paid tribute to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, visited the Thai Defense Academy, and had a meeting with the staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand.

Reported by Duc Minh and Tien Ngoc from Bangkok, Thailand

Translated by Thu Nguyen