Vietnamese Defence Minister visits Thailand Feb 21-23

BANGKOK, February 23 (TNA) - Vietnamese Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich is paying a three-day official visit to Thailand, scheduled for February 21-23, as the guest of the Thai Ministry of Defence, aimed to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation between Hanoi and Bangkok. Accompanied by his entourage, the visiting Vietnamese defence minister paid a courtesy call on Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan at the Ministry of Defence in Bangkok on February 22. Defence Ministry Spokesman Major General Kongcheep Tantrawanit told journalists after the meeting that the Thai deputy prime minister and defence minister expressed his appreciation to close and long-standing relations between Vietnam and Thailand and to the setting up of a joint committee on security. The spokesman quoted the Thai deputy premier and defence minister as saying that he believed the joint committee on security should become a key mechanism to concretely drive forward security cooperation between Hanoi and Bangkok, covering the exchange of visits of military personnel, joint military exercises and research and development projects, as well as bilateral cooperation in other aspects, particularly cooperation against illegal fishing. The spokesman stated that the visiting Vietnamese defence minister, in exchange, said he rated his ongoing trip to Thailand a great importance and invited his Thai counterpart to also pay an official visit to Vietnam at an appropriate time to further discuss on joint solutions to issues of mutual interest based on humanitarian principles and goodwill, including illeal fishing. Besides, bilateral strategic cooperation, covering an increase in joint patrols and military drills along the border and research and development, as well as the planned setting up of a joint panel on border security, will be raised. The visiting Vietnamese defence minister also praised Thailand's key role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and sought opinions from the Thai side on how to further develop ties and cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand through the Ministries of Defence of both fellow ASEAN member countries. (TNA)