(VOV) - Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his entourage arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday to begin an official visit to Thailand. Trong was welcomed at the airport by the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister of Thailand and officials from the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok. This is the first visit to Thailand by a Vietnamese Party General Secretary in 20 years since the 1993 visit by Trong’s predecessor Do Muoi. The visit demonstrates Vietnam’s desire to expand friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Thailand, considering this as a priority in its foreign policy. Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is scheduled to host a State-level welcoming ceremony for Vietnamese Party leader Trong and his entourage in the afternoon. Both leaders will then hold talks and agree on the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries.

Prior to the welcoming ceremony, President of the ruling Pheu Thai party Jarupong Ruangsuwan paid a courtesy visit to the Vietnamese Party General Secretary. He briefed Mr. Trong on the Pheu Thai party’s history of development and its role in Thailand’s economic development. He also expressed his belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the people of Vietnam will continue to obtain greater achievements in the industrialization and modernization process. The two party leaders agreed to establish exchanges at all levels to share information and experience in leadership and management and prepare to sign a cooperation agreement between the two parties. President of the Pheu Thai party accepted the Vietnamese Party leader’s invitation to visit Vietnam.

Later in the day, Mr. Trong visited the staff of the Vietnamese embassy in Thailand and met with representatives of the Vietnamese community there. He briefed them on major developments Vietnam and asked them to further contribute to fostering relations between the two countries and developing the homeland.