Thai Consul General Wiraka Moodhitaporn speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) held a gathering on December 6 to mark the 95th National Day of Thailand (December 5).
The day is also the birth anniversary of late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the Father’s Day of Thailand.
Thai Consul General Wiraka Moodhitaporn said cultural and social relations, especially at the people-to-people level, form a stepping stone for cooperation between Thailand and Vietnam.
She noted mutual understanding and cohesion between the two peoples will create favourable conditions for promoting bilateral trade, investment, and business ties to help raise bilateral trade to 25 billion USD as targeted by the countries’ leaders.
The Thai Consulate General in HCM City will continue stepping up people-to-people connectivity, she went on, adding that it is ready to strengthen all-round cooperation with HUFO, the Vietnam - Thailand Friendship Association, the city’s liaison board for Vietnamese expatriates in Laos and Thailand, and the Vietnam - ASEAN Friendship Association in HCM City to promote bilateral friendship for the sake of common interests.
Dinh Khac Duy, Chairman of the Vietnam - Thailand Friendship Association in HCM City, highlighted the two countries’ flourishing relations in all aspects, especially politics, security, defence, economy, and trade.
During his visit to Thailand and attendance in the 29th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to augmenting the strategic partnership with Thailand, Duy said.
Bilateral trade increased 18% from 2020 to 18.8 billion USD in 2021 and stood at 16.1 billion USD in the first nine months of 2022, up 17.2% year on year.
He added that over the past years, his association has worked with the Thai Consulate General and the Thai Business Association in HCM City to effectively organise many people-to-people exchanges, including granting scholarships for disadvantaged students.
So far, the Vietnam - Thailand scholarship fund has granted over 580 scholarships totalling 750 million VND (31,200 USD) to students in HCM City.
At the gathering, the Thai Consulate General, through the Vietnam - Thailand Friendship Association in HCM City, presented 20 scholarships to students of the Thai language faculty of the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities./.
The first Thailand-Vietnam-Laos Business Forum took place in Udon Thani province of Thailand on November 28, attracting 300 management officials and Vietnamese businesses from the three countries.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh and Governor of Thailand’s Udon Thani province Wanchai Kongkasem exchanged views on economic cooperation between the two countries, as well as the demand for collaboration between their localities in their recent working session.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh on December 4 worked with authorities of the province of Saraburi to discuss measures to step up cooperation between localities of the two countries in investment, trade, economy, tourism, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 5 sent a message of congratulations to Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn on the country’s National Day, while Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue cabled congratulatory messages to their Thai counterparts Prayut Chan-o-cha and Chuan Leekpai.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
Thai Consul General Wiraka Moodhitaporn speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA) 
