Thai PM visits Vietnam to talk trade

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva arrived in Hanoi for a one-day visit with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung. The two reviewed an honor guard before heading for a 90-minute talk behind closed doors.

“Your visit will contribute to expanding and deepening the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand,” Dung told his guest during a five-minute photo opportunity.

In a regular press conference on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung told reporters that the two prime ministers were expected to discuss how each is dealing with the financial crisis.

Thailand is one of Vietnam’s major trading partners, and their bilateral trade reached $6.5 billion last year. Thailand also ranked ninth among foreign investors in Vietnam, having poured nearly $6 billion into the country.

Vietnam, which has recorded average economic growth of 7 percent over the past decade, saw its economy expand only 3.9 percent in the first half of this year.

Thailand, with its export-dependent economy, is reeling from the global recession. Political unrest has also hit the country’s important tourist industry, including the resort of Pattaya.

Abhisit was named prime minister in December after months of protests and court rulings forced two previous leaders from power. It is customary for newly elected leaders from the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations to pay visits to other member-states.