On the morning of May 28, an official welcome ceremony for Party General Secretary and President To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly and a high-level Vietnamese delegation was held solemnly at Thailand’s Government House in Bangkok.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his spouse presided over the ceremony.

After the motorcade carrying Mr. To Lam and his spouse arrived at the main entrance of the Government House, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his spouse welcomed the Vietnamese leader and invited him to step onto the ceremonial platform.

Military bands then performed the national anthems of Vietnam and Thailand. Following that, To Lam reviewed the Royal Thai Armed Forces honor guard.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his spouse then introduced members of the Thai high-level delegation to Party Chief and President To Lam and his spouse, who in turn introduced members of the Vietnamese delegation attending the ceremony.

Immediately after the welcome ceremony, To Lam and Anutin Charnvirakul, together with senior officials from both countries, held official talks.

Nearly 50 years after Vietnam and Thailand established diplomatic relations in 1976, ties between the two countries have continued to strengthen and expand comprehensively, becoming one of the most dynamic and effective relationships within ASEAN.

Thailand is currently Vietnam’s largest trading partner within ASEAN. The two economies are becoming increasingly interconnected through regional supply chains.

Thailand is also one of the largest ASEAN investors in Vietnam, with many large-scale projects in energy, manufacturing, retail, logistics and infrastructure.

The two countries hold considerable potential for cooperation in supply chain development, transport connectivity, logistics and Mekong subregional cooperation.

Given their important geostrategic positions, both countries are well placed to become key connectivity hubs in mainland Southeast Asia.

Mr. To Lam’s visit to Thailand and his spouse’s accompanying trip reflect Vietnam’s high regard for its relationship with Thailand as well as the broader Southeast Asian region.

The visit also provides an opportunity for leaders of both countries to exchange views in depth on major directions for effectively implementing a new cooperation framework, thereby creating fresh momentum for bilateral relations in the coming period.

Tran Thuong