This is Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara's first visit to Viet Nam since he was appointed by Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand in September this year.

Viet Nam and Thailand established diplomatic relations on August 6, 1976, which was elevated to strategic partnership on the occasion of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to Thailand in 2013, and to a higher level of advanced strategic partnership in 2019.

As members of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), both sides have exerted tireless efforts to cultivate friendly, trusted, mutually respectful, and mutually beneficial relations.

Both sides have regularly maintained exchanges and contacts between high-level leaders, coordinated closely and support each other at regional and international forums, especially ASEAN and Mekong sub-region mechanisms, thus contributing to consolidating peace, stability and prosperity in ASEAN.

Last September, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reaffirmed that Thailand is an important an trusted partner of Viet Nam in the region, during his meeting with Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin in New York, the U.S.

Prime Minister Pham suggested the two sides should work closely together to implement their action program for the 2022-2027 perio; further enhance markets and create more favorable conditions for their businesses in order to raise the two-way trade to US$25 billion in a balanced and mutually beneficial fashion; strengthen education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges; and continue close cooperation at multilateral mechanisms, especially ASEAN./.VGP