Speaking via a direct phone call with VOV's correspondent in Thailand while on an overseas mission in Paris, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow shared key strategic insights ahead of the upcoming official visit to Thailand by Vietnamese General Secretary and President To Lam.
VOV correspondent: Thank you very much, your Excellency, for joining us today. As Vietnam and Thailand are now among each other’s most important economic partners in ASEAN, in your opinion, what makes this relationship increasingly complementary rather than competitive in today’s regional landscape?
Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow: I think it’s obvious from whether you look at trade or investment. Our two economies complement each other. Thailand is Vietnam's number one trading partner in ASEAN, and Vietnam is Thailand's second largest trading partner in ASEAN, but most importantly, Thailand is the eighth largest foreign investor in Vietnam, and we've seen the potential of developing or further promoting trade investment between our two countries. Trade has already reached 22 billion US dollars, and this is on track to achieve the target of 25 billion US dollars between our two countries.
So, our trade relations are progressing very well, but I think what is unique is that in terms of investment we are more and more linked in terms of supply chain. Much of what we export to Vietnam, intermediate goods that manufactured, further manufactured in Vietnam for the final products and exported abroad. This is the kind of partnership between our two countries that we hope to see, and we have many Thai companies which have invested in large projects in Vietnam, and I'm sure that these companies intend to expand investment. There'll be more companies looking at investment opportunities in Vietnam, and what we would hope is that the Vietnamese government and the Vietnamese local authorities look at how to further facilitate Thai investors and Thai investment in Vietnam, and to ways of easing some of the restrictions that they face and I think this would be of mutual advantage to our two countries.
VOV correspondent: Regarding the Three Connects strategy, which areas of connectivity do you believe hold the greatest potential for creating a more resilient and future-oriented partnership between Vietnam and Thailand?
Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow: Well, first of all, I would like to point out that our two countries have raised the level of partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership and I think that's very important, and we're now working on a plan of action that we hope to sign during the visit of the President of Vietnam and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. And at the heart of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is what we call the Three Connects Strategy. The first connect is supply chain, connecting supply chain, the second connect is connecting local economies, and the third connect is connecting sustainable development or green growth.
We believe that by way of supply chain we will strengthen the economic competitiveness of our two countries and also working to connect local economies, that means that the benefit of more trade, investment, more economic cooperation between our two countries will benefit the local communities. And third, in these days, it's very important to make sure that economic growth is sustainable and so we should work to make sure that our economic ties, trade investment proceed in a sustainable way and promote sustainable development and looking ahead of course it's also about the future, as you notice, and we see a lot of potential in new areas of partnership, new areas of economic partnership, because our two countries are going through economic transition, these areas and I'm sure all of us are familiar: green economy, digital economy, science and technology, and working to develop our human resources. So these are where I hope, these are what I see as the future direction of our comprehensive strategic partnership.
VOV correspondent: As our two countries mark this important milestone of 50 years of diplomatic relations, what message do you think this high-level exchange sends about the future direction of Thailand-Vietnam relations?
Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow: Well, 50 years, I think, is a milestone in a relationship, and of course, we have raised the level of our relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and I think the visit of His Excellency, Mr. To Lam, which is his first official visit to Thailand, and in fact it is the first official visit at the leaders' level under Prime Minister Anutin's current administration says a lot about where we are going for the next 50 years.
And we also welcome that Thailand is the first ASEAN country that he's visiting officially after assuming the Presidency. This is the most fitting way to celebrate. It's the highlight I would say of the 50th anniversary between Thailand and Vietnam, and if you look at the program, I think it's a very substantive program, and there is the meeting with Prime Minister Anutin, and the courtesy, the audience with their Majesty the King and Queen, and also meeting with the President of the National Assembly, the Speaker of the House, and also the President of Vietnam will be presiding over the opening ceremony of the Thailand-Vietnam Business Forum. We expect to have as many as 300 participants from the business communities of both countries attending, and there will be an official dinner hosted by the Prime Minister at the Government House. So, the program highlights the importance that we attach to the visit, and it's a visit that we are sure that will really add momentum to our relationship. It underscores the political will of both sides to move forward in our relationship.
VOV correspondent: In light of the current regional challenges, how do you see Vietnam and Thailand working together to strengthen ASEAN's unity and centrality in shaping the future of the region?
Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow: When we talk about a comprehensive strategic partnership, it's not just at the bilateral level. Our partnership means that we share common interests at the sub-regional and regional level.
I think, first of all, I see Thailand and Vietnam working to promote the development of the Mekong sub region. There's much more that we can do. There are many frameworks so far as the development of the Mekong sub region is concerned, but I think Thailand and Vietnam should form a closer partnership to be the driver of all these frameworks of cooperation in helping to promote development of the Mekong sub region, and especially the Mekong sub region comprise our neighbors, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia. We really hope that we can work together with Vietnam.
Second, ASEAN is an important crossroad, we've had many successes in the past, yet we face many challenges. We need to strengthen ASEAN unity and centrality, and challenges need to be overcome. And Thailand and Vietnam, I think we share the same outlook on the region, the same outlook in so far as ASEAN is concerned, because if you look at the state of the world today, this is a time where we have to really advance regionalism in ASEAN. We have to promote peace and progress, and make sure that ASEAN continues as a safe zone, safe zone from geopolitical competition, safe zone from conflicts, so that we can attract, so that we can work together in promoting intra-Asian economic cooperation, more integration, and so that we can work together to attract foreign investment into the region, and this is really an opportune time for the region. If you look at what's happening around the world, and so the partnership between Vietnam and Thailand has all these sub-regional and regional dimensions that we need to be working more closely together.
VOV correspondent: Your Excellency, thank you so much for your valuable time and insights.
