Thailand fires 21-gun salute to welcome Vietnam leader To Lam on official visit

The trip will be made at the invitation of President of the Philippines Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and his spouse.

The leader welcomed Hanoi’s growth ambition of at least 11%, saying it demonstrates the capital’s pioneering role, but such a goal cannot be attained under the old growth model and outdated approaches.

The PM said rental housing development must be integrated with urban planning, land-use planning, public transport, industrial zones and labour market development, with priority given to major cities, industrial parks and key economic corridors with full infrastructure.

General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife, along with a high-level Vietnamese delegation, will pay an official visit to Thailand from May 27-29. On this occasion, the Thai Ambassador to Vietnam, Urawadee Sriphiromya, gave an interview to Vietnamese media about the significance of the visit and the highlights of bilateral relations in recent times.

Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called for stronger and more substantive reforms in public aspirations and oversight work, emphasizing accountability and digital transformation.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam stressed that reform in basic science research must encompass awareness, institutional frameworks, investment mechanisms, and implementation methods. He described the issue as a strategic matter directly linked to Vietnam’s development model, national self-reliance and international standing in the 21st century.

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man said beyond policymaking, the NA Committee on Science, Technology and Environment Beyond must closely monitor policy implementation and effectiveness, calling for stronger supervision over laws related to science and technology, innovation and artificial intelligence, as well as the issuance of guiding decrees and circulars.

The 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT RevCon 11) officially concluded at the United Nations headquarters in New York on May 23 after four weeks of meetings, with many countries hailing Vietnam’s role as conference chair despite the failure to adopt a final outcome document.

The Prime Minister and the Government delegation observed a minute of silence in memory of heroic martyrs across the country, including those resting at the Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery, who sacrificed their lives for national independence, freedom and the people’s happiness.

Vietnam and Russia agreed to continue coordinating the implementation of signed agreements, focusing on enhancing naval cooperation, expanding marine scientific research, developing maritime transport and strengthening specialised training programmes.

The sacrifices of martyrs symbolised Vietnam’s spirit of international solidarity and played an important role in the revolutionary victories of both Vietnam and Laos, while further strengthening the special friendship between the two countries. Their legacy remains an enduring testament to courage, sacrifice and proletarian internationalism.

Vietnam considers the US one of its most important partners, the top leader said, expressing his wish that the bilateral relationship will continue to grow in line with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with economic, trade and investment ties as the main engine and sci-tech cooperation as a new breakthrough.

To elevate bilateral defence cooperation more substantively and effectively in line with agreements reached by senior leaders of both countries, the two sides agreed to continue implementing cooperation contents already agreed upon. Priority areas include effectively carrying out signed cooperation documents; exchanging and signing new agreements in line with the needs of both sides; sharing experience; cooperation in humanitarian mine clearance, military history education and communications; training cooperation; and promoting cooperation between the Vietnam–Russia Tropical Science and Technology Research Centre and units under the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung said the upcoming official visit to Thailand by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam will provide an opportunity for leaders of both countries to review achievements over the past five decades while opening up new directions for cooperation, helping elevate bilateral ties to a deeper and more effective level in line with the interests of both peoples and the goals of regional peace, cooperation and development.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam, his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation will pay an official visit to Thailand from May 27-29.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung suggested that the two countries work together towards raising bilateral trade turnover to 10 billion USD in 2026 and eventually 15 billion USD through expanded market access for each other’s goods.

Discussing regional and international issues of mutual concern, both sides affirmed their support for multilateralism and free trade, as well as the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflicts in line with international law and the UN Charter. They also stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Vietnamese Government will continue to work closely with the US side to soon finalise the agreement, thereby further deepening economic, trade, and investment cooperation as the main driving force for bilateral relations, said Prime Minister Le Minh Hung.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel has advised Vietnamese citizens to strictly comply with regulations of countries in the Middle East region, regularly follow security warnings issued by local authorities and Vietnamese representative agencies, and avoid areas affected by conflict or at risk of unsafety.

Welcoming the first-ever visit to Vietnam by a Croatian foreign minister since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1994, Trung described the trip as a strong signal of Croatia’s commitment to expanding multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam. He affirmed that Vietnam always treasures relations with traditional friends, with Croatia regarded as one of its priority partners in the Balkan region.