Hanoi, August 7, 2026 – The Europe Today: Vietnamese Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng and President of the National Assembly and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand Sophon Zaram have agreed to accelerate the substantive implementation of the “Three Connects” Strategy and strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
During their meeting in Hà Nội on Thursday, the two leaders agreed to enhance connectivity between supply chains, businesses and localities, while promoting sustainable development strategies and expanding bilateral economic cooperation.
Prime Minister Hưng said Sophon Zaram’s visit was particularly significant as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and Thailand, established on August 6, 1976. He said the occasion provided fresh impetus to strengthening political trust, deepening cooperation between the two legislatures and advancing the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a more substantive and effective manner.
The Vietnamese prime minister described Thailand as a close neighbour, important partner and trusted companion of Việt Nam, noting that the two countries share numerous common values and strategic interests.
He highlighted the close coordination between Việt Nam and Thailand in promoting ASEAN centrality, advancing Mekong subregional cooperation and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and beyond.
Prime Minister Hưng also commended the Thai parliament for its positive contributions to bilateral relations and expressed confidence that the visit would generate new momentum for cooperation between the two legislative bodies and facilitate the implementation of high-level agreements.
Sophon Zaram, for his part, expressed pleasure at making his first official visit to Việt Nam and reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to strengthening its traditional friendship and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Việt Nam.
He praised Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements and its recent efforts to streamline the state apparatus, expressing Thailand’s interest in learning from Việt Nam’s experience. He voiced confidence that bilateral cooperation would continue expanding across various fields, particularly following the official visits by Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm to Thailand in May 2026 and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to Việt Nam in June.
The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive development of bilateral relations, noting that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has gained momentum through high-level exchanges and bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
They highlighted defence and security cooperation as an important pillar of bilateral relations, while noting continued progress in trade, investment, science and technology, culture, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
Both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening political trust through regular exchanges at all levels and making full use of existing bilateral mechanisms, particularly the Joint Cabinet Meeting co-chaired by the two prime ministers.
They also called for close coordination in implementing the 2026–31 Action Programme for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with a focus on achieving concrete results in defence, security, the economy, science and technology, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
In defence and security, the two countries agreed to maintain the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms and enhance collaboration in maritime security and safety, defence industry, logistics, military medicine, search and rescue operations and border management.
They also agreed to intensify joint efforts against transnational crime, particularly drug trafficking, human trafficking and online fraud. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to preventing individuals or organisations from using the territory of either country to undermine the other.
On economic connectivity, the two sides pledged to make more effective use of the East–West Economic Corridor and Southern Economic Corridor, while expanding road, air and maritime links and encouraging businesses from both countries to increase investment.
They agreed to improve the effectiveness of the Việt Nam–Thailand Joint Trade Committee, with the goal of increasing bilateral trade to US$25 billion in the near term and ultimately US$50 billion, while ensuring balanced and sustainable growth.
Prime Minister Hưng also called on the two legislatures to expand delegation exchanges, share experiences in legislation and oversight, and continue supporting bilateral cooperation.
He encouraged the parliaments to serve as bridges between localities and promote cooperation in investment, trade, culture, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, further strengthening the foundation of the longstanding friendship between the two countries.
Regarding regional and international issues, the two leaders agreed to maintain close coordination at multilateral forums and within Mekong subregional cooperation mechanisms.
They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ASEAN unity and upholding ASEAN centrality, while promoting the bloc’s common position on the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea.
Both sides emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Sophon Zaram also praised the Vietnamese community in Thailand for its contributions to the country’s socio-economic development, noting its important role in strengthening people-to-people ties and political trust between Việt Nam and Thailand.
Prime Minister Hưng called on Thailand to continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live and work stably, enabling its members to make further contributions to Thailand’s development and bilateral relations.
The two leaders expressed confidence that, with strong political commitment and close coordination among relevant agencies, the Việt Nam–Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership would continue to develop in a more substantive and effective manner, serving the interests of both peoples and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the wider world.
