Vietnam's Foreign Minister Meets with Cambodian, Thai, and Philippine Counterparts at ASEAN Summit

Strategic Insights -

Vietnam's Foreign Minister, Le Hoai Trung, met with his counterparts from Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines on October 27, during the 47th ASEAN Summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The meetings aimed to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation between the countries, particularly in economic, cultural, and scientific areas. Minister Trung expressed Vietnam's commitment to enhancing regional integration and solidarity, particularly in the face of global challenges. The meetings also touched on regional issues, such as border disputes and IUU fishing.

Key Takeaways:

  • Minister Le Hoai Trung met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, discussing the strengthening of bilateral relations between Vietnam and Cambodia.
  • The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to consolidating and developing good neighborly relations, traditional friendship, and comprehensive cooperation.
  • Vietnam and Cambodia agreed to coordinate on upcoming foreign affairs activities, including the 21st Meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on Economic, Cultural, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation.
  • The meeting with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow emphasized the importance of Vietnam-Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and cooperation in new fields.
  • Thailand and Vietnam agreed to bring bilateral trade turnover to 25 billion USD in a balanced direction, promoting economic cooperation and infrastructure connections.
  • Vietnam and Thailand discussed cooperation in preventing IUU seafood exploitation, with Thailand acknowledging Vietnam's efforts and expressing readiness to strengthen coordination.

Statistics:

  • Vietnam and Cambodia aim to bring bilateral trade turnover to 20 billion USD in the coming time.
  • The two countries agreed to enhance transport and logistics infrastructure connections between them.
  • Thailand and Vietnam aim to bring bilateral trade turnover to 25 billion USD in a balanced direction.
  • The two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in building and implementing the Three Connections Strategy.
  • Vietnam approved the participation of ASEAN in the joint efforts of Cambodia and Thailand to fully and effectively implement the agreement on peacefully resolving the border issue.

Sources:

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam
  • ASEAN Summit 2023
  • VietNamNet
  • Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs