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Vietnam, Thailand to foster cooperation in potential areas: top leader

Vietnam, Thailand to foster cooperation in potential areas: top leader

During their talks in Bangkok on May 28, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam and Prime Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirakul pledged efforts to soon raise bilateral trade turnover to $25 billion annually.

Vietnam and Thailand will step up cooperation in potential areas such as clean energy, the digital economy, the green economy, innovation and high-tech agriculture, stated General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam at a press briefing in Bangkok on May 28 following his talks with Prime Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirakul, according to a report by the Vietnam News Agency.

The Vietnamese Party and State leader said the two sides had highly successful talks and achieved many positive, comprehensive and substantive outcomes.

Both sides highly valued the positive progress in Vietnam – Thailand relations in recent years, noting that political trust has been strengthened continuously, defense and security cooperation enhanced, while economic, trade and investment cooperation remains a bright spot. People-to-people exchanges have also remained vibrant, and coordination at regional and international forums, especially within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has become increasingly close.

On that basis, he noted, the two sides discussed in depth orientations and measures to further strengthen the Vietnam – Thailand relationship in a more robust, sustainable and effective manner.

Vietnam and Thailand agreed to further deepen political trust as the political foundation for a long-term and close relationship between the two countries; promote high-level and all-level exchanges and contacts across all channels and sectors; enhance the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms; and maintain and further promote the effectiveness of defense and security cooperation mechanisms. They pledged to bolster cooperation in combating transnational crime, and step up the negotiations and signing of bilateral legal cooperation agreements. They reaffirmed their commitment to preventing any individual or organization from using the territory of one country against the other, the Vietnamese leader noted.

General Secretary and President Lam stressed that the two countries will foster collaboration in potential fields while tightening transport and logistics infrastructure connectivity and effectively utilizing economic corridors in the Mekong sub-region, especially the East-West Economic Corridor, to facilitate the flows of goods and services between the two countries and across the region.

Regarding locality-to-locality cooperation, he said the two sides will further enhance cooperation efficiency, increase tourism promotion, strengthen cultural and educational links, and expand people-to-people exchanges, particularly among younger generations, thereby deepening mutual understanding and bonds between the two peoples.

Appreciating the Thai Government’s attention to and support for the Vietnamese community in Thailand, he affirmed that the community serves as a valuable bridge in bilateral relations and an indispensable part of efforts to preserve and enhance friendship and ties between the peoples of the two countries.

On regional and international issues, General Secretary and President Lam reaffirmed the importance of maintaining ASEAN solidarity and centrality. He said the two sides agreed to strengthen coordination of their stances on issues of mutual concern, including promoting peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, and resolving disputes through peaceful measures in accordance with international law.

He also welcomed Thailand and Cambodia’s serious implementation of the ceasefire agreement and expressed his hope that the two countries will maintain dialogue and resolve border disputes peacefully for the long-term benefit of both sides and the region as a whole.

The Party and State leader expressed confidence that with the shared determination of the leaders and peoples of both countries, the Vietnam – Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to develop in a stronger, more substantive and more effective manner, serving the interests of both peoples and contributing positively to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

For his part, Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul affirmed that the visit by General Secretary and President Lam holds special significance as the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

He said the visit provides a foundation for the two sides to jointly shape orientations for the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a deeper and more substantive manner, bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries.

The Thai PM noted that the two leaders had open and candid discussions and reached consensus on orientations for fostering cooperation across all areas within the framework of the Thailand – Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The two sides agreed to further enhance coordination to respond to current global economic uncertainties and fluctuations, while placing importance on promoting cooperation between the private sectors of both countries. They also pledged efforts to soon raise bilateral trade turnover to $25 billion annually.

In the coming period, the two countries will focus on reinforcing ties in energy security, science and technology, innovation, biotechnology and agriculture. They also affirmed that they can work together to promote economic development in the Mekong sub-region.

The host expressed confidence that the outcomes of the talks will continue to consolidate friendship, trust and cooperation between the two countries, thereby generating benefits for their peoples.

Source: en.vneconomy.vn

Photo: VNA

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Vietnam has potential to become Southeast Asia’s renewable energy hub: Suzlon

Vietnam has potential to become Southeast Asia’s renewable energy hub: Suzlon

Speaking with Vietnam Economic Times / VnEconomy on the sidelines of the APAC Wind Energy Summit 2026 in Hanoi, Mr. Girish Tanti, Vice Chairman of Suzlon Group, said Vietnam is not only a promising market but also has the potential to become a regional hub for renewable energy development, services, and supply chains.

Nearly seven months have passed since Suzlon first began actively exploring opportunities in Vietnam. How would you assess the current outlook for Vietnam’s wind energy market, particularly in light of the revised Power Development Plan VIII and the country’s long-term energy transition goals?

Vietnam, within Asia, stands out, in terms of its bold targets-almost 24 gigawatts of renewable energy already operational, and 7 gigawatts of wind operational in the country, and set out a very strong goal for energy green transition by 2035, to adoption of renewable energy.

It is the fastest growing renewable energy market in the region, and Suzlon being one of the pioneers in Asia, we have opened up several markets in Asia, with product portfolio ranging from 2 megawatt to almost 6 megawatt now, largely focused on onshore wind.

We see Vietnam market for onshore, near shore also pretty interesting, that is something that is more likely to happen in the immediate future, and we are very confident that we should be able to make a meaningful contribution to Vietnam's growth from here.

Does Suzlon view Vietnam primarily as a potential market for wind turbine sales, or does the Group see Vietnam as a strategic manufacturing and service hub for Southeast Asia in the future?

Vietnam being the largest market in Southeast Asia has a very unique position, because it is an early starter with probably the largest, almost 7 gigawatts installed wind fleet. It is very uniquely placed to play a regional role.

Any company that is focused around renewable energy operating out of Vietnam, will use Vietnam as a regional player, so we too will not just focus on the supply of wind turbines, but also the full scale service of wind turbines, and then using it as a base for the rest of Asia.

If market conditions are favorable, would Suzlon consider establishing its first manufacturing facility or technical service center in Vietnam during the 2027-2030 period?

I think we are in the first phase of kick-starting our build-out in Vietnam, so we are in that stage where we are connecting with all the key developers and customers to see how we can develop long-term portfolio projects with our customers.

And as the outcome of that come out, I think the first phase service business will pick up, then we will have new turbine sales, and with that then we will look at how we can build the supply chain ecosystem in Vietnam, not just for Vietnam, but for the rest of the region.

Suzlon played an important role in helping India develop a strong domestic wind energy manufacturing ecosystem. Based on that experience, what lessons could Vietnam learn to build its own wind power supply chain and supporting industries?

I think Vietnam has a beautiful opportunity right now, we can replicate some of the things we did in India.

First and foremost for any market to grow and develop in a strong way, you need a stable policy.

Vietnam now has a good vision and a stable policy in place, which is very critical.

The second important element is to make sure that you have the right infrastructure to be able to build this.

So your grid infrastructure, your port infrastructure, all the other infrastructure to allow renewable energy adoption.

The third is, you know, having the market development, creating the demand for adoption of renewable energy and energy transition, that is another third important area.

And when we look at building the ecosystem for manufacturing, I think it's important that you do a phased manner adoption of local development of things, otherwise it can hamper your growth.

So while the growth is coming out, not to slow down your growth, it's important that we build out ancillary industries and ecosystems across Vietnam, which can benefit from the growth of the renewable sector also.

Many wind farms in Vietnam are now entering the operational phase and require professional maintenance services. How does Suzlon evaluate the potential of the operations and maintenance (O&M) market in Vietnam?

So you have 77 gigawatts of already installed capacity of wind. Suzlon today operates close to about 21.5 gigawatts globally, around 17 nations that we have this fleet.

Within Asia itself, the largest part of this fleet is there. So very strong competency and we are close to Vietnam geographically also. So I think in India, Vietnam cooperation is very good. So there is a good partnership relationship between the two countries. I think we can leverage that to build a whole ecosystem, which can be of mutual benefit on that.

And definitely the service business is an important piece, and Suzlon has been very strong on the service side. Because we strongly believe it's not just installing the turbines, it's making sure that the green electrons delivered over the life of the project, which ultimately gets investors to kind of reinvest into renewable energy.

Today we see almost 90% of Suzlon's business comes from repeat business, which is primarily because they are happy with Suzlon's performance.

Chinese wind turbine manufacturers have expanded rapidly across Asia with highly competitive pricing. How does Suzlon differentiate itself and compete in markets such as Vietnam?

Cost competitive and affordability of energy is very critical. Suzlon's unique proposition is that, like if you see our current 5 megawatt and 6 megawatt project, which we launched at this conference for the Asian market, the Blue Sky platform, both of these are very uniquely designed to meet the energy profile and the grid requirement of this region and the climate requirement.

The 5 megawatt is largely for the low wind conditions to extract the maximum energy. And you have a 6 megawatt, which is a high wind turbine, which can extract energy from higher 8, 9 meters per second of that.

So I think with this combination of two turbines, today effectively we are able to provide almost 90% coverage of any wind sites that exist in Asia to fit this turbine.

So the competitiveness is coming purely not just from cost, but it is the value delivery.

So from a cost per kilowatt hour, there is a little, at times people just look at the capital cost, but you must also see the life cycle cost, LCOE as we call it.

I think Suzlon product is very competitive on the life cycle cost of a turbine, means a unit cost of generation of electricity from Suzlon will be competitive to any other product. And these two products are powerhouses. They are very strong on performance.

Suzlon is entering a new phase of global growth and business transformation. Within Suzlon’s long-term international strategy, what role do you envision Vietnam playing over the next five to ten years?

We are entering a new phase of Suzlon 2.0, where we are growing the global markets in a big way. We will also grow beyond wind.

So the idea is to do wind solar storage and make firm renewable energy. So we will work with partners and develop plans of not just one or two years from project to project, but build relationships for a decade and help them build their energy portfolio of wind solar storage together.

Technical partner, operational partner, end-to-end service. And Vietnam is uniquely placed with its strong ahead-of-the-curve build-up of renewable energy. So we will be leveraging that for the Asia market build-up.


ADB plans $4.6bln financing package for Vietnam through 2029

ADB plans $4.6bln financing package for Vietnam through 2029

The Asian Development Bank plans to support Vietnam with a portfolio of 27 projects worth approximately $4.6 billion through 2029.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) plans to support Vietnam with a portfolio of 27 projects worth approximately $4.6 billion through 2029, focusing on infrastructure, energy, urban development, agriculture, and public sector efficiency.

The plan was discussed during a meeting on June 15 in Hanoi between Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Quoc Phuong and Mr. Kim Dongil, Executive Director at ADB representing a constituency that includes Vietnam and some other Asian countries.

During the meeting, both sides reviewed future cooperation priorities, including budget support lending, large-scale infrastructure projects, and initiatives aimed at expanding ASEAN power grid connectivity.

According to ADB, the proposed project pipeline aligns with Vietnam’s key development priorities and is designed to support sustainable economic growth. The two sides agreed that future cooperation should focus on large-scale, high-impact projects capable of generating broad economic benefits rather than dispersing resources across smaller initiatives.

Deputy Minister Phuong noted that Vietnam’s financing needs remain substantial as the country pursues ambitious development goals. He emphasized that investment resources will be directed toward growth-driving sectors and regions with strong capacity to absorb capital effectively.

For his part, Mr. Kim Dongil reaffirmed ADB’s commitment to expanding its operations and financial support through 2030. He said the bank stands ready to assist Vietnam in achieving its socio-economic development objectives and expressed confidence that cooperation between the two sides will continue to deepen in the years ahead.



Automechanika 2026 highlights Việt Nam’s new energy vehicle boom

Automechanika 2026 highlights Việt Nam’s new energy vehicle boom

Over 400 businesses from 17 countries and regions have participated at the Automechanika HCM City 2026 exhibition on Thursday at HCM City’s Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center.

HCM CITY — Over 400 businesses from 17 countries and territories are participating at the Automechanika HCM City 2026 exhibition on Thursday at HCM City’s Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center, featuring the latest solutions and technologies across various sectors of the automotive industry.

The three-day event is co-organised by German based Messe Frankfurt Group, Chan Chao International Co Ltd and Yorkers Exhibition Service Vietnam.

The exhibited solutions and technologies cover various sectors, including parts & components, electrics & electronics, accessories & customising and others.

Key exhibitors at the event include leading carmakers from Việt Nam and China, as VinFast and BYD Oway, along with original equipment (OE) and aftermarket manufacturers and suppliers from Italy, Japan, Germany and Korea.

It also offers visitors an overview of the latest trends across the entire automotive value chain, including Việt Nam's rapidly growing new energy vehicle (NEV) market.

Fiona Chiew, general manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, said: “Việt Nam’s transition to EVs and hybrids is driving change for the domestic automotive sector, with both national and global carmakers making their impact on the market.”

According to the event organiser, EV and hybrid vehicle sales in Việt Nam reached 162,039 units in the first quarter of 2026, up over 36 percent year-on-year, creating expanding opportunities and challenges within the value chain.

The rapid growth of the electric and hybrid vehicle market is creating new demand for components, diagnostic equipment, charging infrastructure, repair services and technical workforce, while also opening up room for growth across the entire automotive supply chain.

She also mentioned that the event serves as a comprehensive platform for international and Vietnamese businesses to connect, share ideas and forge partnerships.

The event also provides visitors with numerous activities, including a Collision Repair Training Workshop, an Automotive Mobility Solutions Conference and B2B activities.


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