Acting Foreign Minister holds phone conversation with top Thai diplomat

It was the first exchange between the two top diplomats since Phuangketkeow took office on September 19.

The Thai official reiterated that Viet Nam is an important partner of Thailand in the region and vowed to continue strengthening close cooperation between the two foreign ministries, contributing to further promoting the Viet Nam–Thailand comprehensive strategic partnership.

He welcomed Viet Nam's efforts in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, pledging to strengthen collaboration with Viet Nam in joint fishing cooperation activities and marine environmental protection.

Le, for his part, expressed his delight at the substantive and profound development in the bilateral relations based on mutual respect, trust, and benefit.

He called on both sides to continue working together to implement the outcomes of the 4th Viet Nam–Thailand Joint Cabinet Meeting, with a focus on formulating an action program to realize the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries for the 2026–2030 period.

Both ministers underlined the need to work closely together to make thorough preparations for upcoming high-level visits, particularly high-level meetings on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit and the Mekong–Lancang Cooperation Summit scheduled to take place by the end of 2025.

Economic cooperation remains a key pillar of bilateral relations, they noted, asserting to foster stronger ties in economic cooperation with a view to soon achieving the trade goal of US$25 billion in a more balanced manner.

The two diplomats pledged to speed up the establishment of a joint working group to effectively and substantively implement the "Three Connectivity" Strategy, which includes connecting supply chains, especially in supporting industries, linking economic sectors, enterprises, and localities of the two countries and aligning their sustainable growth strategies.

Both sides also underscored the importance of prioritizing cooperation in emerging areas such as digital transformation, e-government, green economy, and just energy transition as well as developing an innovation ecosystem and boosting connections within the startup innovation network.

The two sides voiced their support for enhancing political and security cooperation and fighting against transnational crime and reaffirmed their commitment not to allow any individual or organization to use their territory to act against the other.

The pair vowed to promote close coordination within multilateral and regional mechanisms, work together with other ASEAN member states to strengthen solidarity, unity, and uphold ASEAN centrality, and strengthen subregional development cooperation.

Le took the occasion to extend invitation to Minister Phuangketkeow to visit Viet Nam and co-chair the 6th meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation at a convenient time./.