Thai-Vietnamese joint Cabinet meeting set on Oct 27

BANGKOK, October 19 (TNA) - Thailand and Vietnam will hold their next joint Cabinet meeting in Vietnam on October 27, when Bangkok will propose bilateral cooperation on rice issues concretely and on an increase in the total value of two-way trade by 20 per cent by 2015. Thai Government Spokesperson Sansanee Nakpong told journalists that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra chaired a discussion with parties concerned this morning to prepare for the joint Thai-Vietnamese Cabinet meeting. Sansanee said that the forthcoming Thai-Vietnamese Cabinet meeting is divided into two sessions, one is for national leaders’ discussions and the other is for sub-group talks. For the national leaders’ session, according to the government spokeswoman, Premier Yingluck will discuss with her Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung strategic partnership, transportation connection and Thailand’s roles as the coordinator of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The spokeswoman revealed that there will be three subgroup gatherings, including those on security, economic affairs and educational, social and cultural affairs, with Thai and Vietnamese deputies prime minister responsible for the issues to attend the subgroup discussions. The spokesperson acknowledged that the security discussions will cover solutions to transnational crimes, narcotics and human trafficking, as well as active military cooperation and information about sustainable water management, which authorities of Thailand, Laos, China, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar will address in a forum in Myanmar. Besides, the Thai Cabinet will seek Vietnam’s support for cooperation on rice trade and relevant issues among five rice-producing countries in ASEAN and on the full utilization of transportation networks and on the implementation of trade, investment and tourism strategies through the East-West Economic Corridor. On cultural, social and educational issues, the Thai and Vietnamese Cabinets will also discuss cultural exchange, an exhibition on Southeast Asia at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi, a Vietnam cultural center project in Thailand, two additional Thai studies centers and labor cooperation. The Thai and Vietnam prime ministers will then hold a press conference on bilateral cooperation, including joint security efforts and the establishment of a Thai-Vientnamese business council. (TNA)