Thailand National Assembly President Sophon Zaram’s visit to Vietnam reinforces the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and cooperation as both nations mark 50 years of diplomatic ties.
The coming visit of the National Assembly President and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand, Mr. Sophon Zaram, to Vietnam will go a long way towards strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Thailand, with an emphasis on the growing significance of parliament diplomacy in developing the relationship. The three-day visit that will take place from August 5 to 7 falls in line with the 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
The visit comes amid many high-level talks which have considerably upgraded bilateral relations in recent months such as the visit by the Vietnamese top leader To Lam to Thailand in May and the return visit by the Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to Vietnam in June. The above talks have paved a firm ground for the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
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The collaboration of parliamentarians has become one of the pillars of the bilateral relations. Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung said that the collaboration of both parliaments is of utmost importance for fostering political confidence and implementing the decisions made by the two governments. It should be mentioned that parliamentary diplomacy is just a part of bilateral diplomacy and plays a crucial role in developing strategic partnership.
While the visit is taking place, the parties are expected to discuss ways in which the level of cooperation between their respective parliaments could be improved, such as sharing experiences in legislation and the development of parliament. There will be further discussion regarding ways in which cooperation on agreements could be better coordinated.
Apart from parliamentary involvement, both Vietnam and Thailand are increasingly engaging themselves in trade, investment, transport, tourism, agriculture, and digitalization. Both nations have realized that economic integration and connectivity are critical for them in order to continue growing as well as enhance regional cooperation in ASEAN. The existing efforts for strengthening transport corridors as well as cross-border trade will be boosted through such high-level engagement.
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The visit also reflects the common dedication of Vietnam and Thailand toward ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity in ASEAN. As two important countries of Southeast Asia, Vietnam and Thailand have pledged to collaborate together in the process of regional integration and sustainable development of ASEAN.
Marking five decades since establishing diplomatic ties, Vietnam and Thailand have been increasingly collaborating in various areas like politics, economy, and socio-cultural aspects. The golden anniversary marks the time for a look back at what was achieved and the discovery of ways to cooperate in new fields, including innovation and sustainability.