Thailand proposes creation of BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement
Thailand has proposed the creation of a BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to enhance intra-regional trade, and strengthen the economies of countries in the regional group.
Leaders of Thailand, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka pose for a group photo at the event. Photo courtesy of The Nation.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra raised the initiative at the sixth summit of the group, officially known as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), on Friday in Bangkok.
She believed that this FTA would unlock the economic potential of the region, creating new opportunities for all member nations.
Thailand also proposed establishing a BIMSTEC business advisory council to enhance the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region’s future growth.
The summit, hosted by the Thai government after a seven-year hiatus of in-person meetings, aimed to discuss a unified vision for the region’s future. The event saw the presence of leaders from seven countries, namely India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Thailand.
The leaders endorsed the “Vision Bangkok 2030” presented by the Thai PM, which seeks to improve economic connectivity, address climate change and prepare for regional challenges that affect over 1.8 billion people across the member states.
Paetongtarn stated that the document will serve as a blueprint for future cooperation among members of the bloc, which has a combined gross domestic product of $4.5 trillion.
The summit also focused on environmental sustainability and healthcare. The Thai PM called for the development of digital infrastructure and the use of advanced technologies such as AI to tackle climate change and pandemics. She proposed creating a “Centre of Excellence for Tropical Medicine” within BIMSTEC to address the region’s unique healthcare needs.
Additionally, Paetongtarn supported India’s proposal to establish a BIMSTEC disaster management centre to enhance the region’s disaster response capabilities.
In addition to economic and environmental discussions, the summit addressed pressing issues such as transnational crimes, including human tracking, the illicit drug trade and cybercrime. The leaders also emphasised the importance of youth engagement and gender equality for the long-term stability and cohesion of the region.
The group signed six agreements, including on maritime transport cooperation to boost connectivity between South and Southeast Asia and disaster prevention.
- Read More
Trung Nam Group's solar power arm suffers $37 mln loss amid rising debt pressure
Trung Nam Thuan Nam Solar Power Company Limited, a subsidiary of the multi-sector Trung Nam Group, incurred a net loss of VND969 billion ($36.83 million) in 2025, reversing a profit of VND138.2 billion ($5.35 million) a year earlier, according to its 2025 earnings statement.
Companies - Sat, May 9, 2026 | 3:01 pm GMT+7
French firms eye Vietnam’s North-South high-speed railway project
A delegation of 15 major French companies and industrial groups has expressed interest in participating in Vietnam’s planned North-South high-speed railway project.
Infrastructure - Sat, May 9, 2026 | 2:38 pm GMT+7
Grocery chain Bach Hoa Xanh opens 1st store in Hanoi, takes cautious northern Vietnam expansion approach
Bach Hoa Xanh, a grocery chain operated by Vietnam’s leading retailer Mobile World Investment Corporation (HoSE: MWG), has opened its first store in Hanoi, marking entry into one of the country’s most competitive consumer markets.
Companies - Sat, May 9, 2026 | 8:17 am GMT+7
Intel to continue expanding investment in Vietnam: exec
U.S. chipmaker Intel will continue expanding investment, supporting workforce training, and helping develop Vietnam’s semiconductor ecosystem as the country refines investment support mechanisms to retain large-scale high-tech projects, said its executives.
Industries - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 7:48 pm GMT+7
Vietnam stocks extend rally to fresh record high
Vietnam’s benchmark VN-Index extended gains for a fourth straight session on Thursday, closing at a new all-time high of 1,915.37 points as large-cap banking and property stocks supported the market despite continued foreign selling.
Finance - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 5:49 pm GMT+7
Vingroup’s VinMetal partners with Primetals for green steel complex in central Vietnam
Vingroup’s subsidiary VinMetal has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with global steel giant Primetals Technologies to develop a large-scale integrated steel complex in central Vietnam.
Industries - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 4:25 pm GMT+7
Hanoi pushes Sumitomo, BRG to accelerate $4.2 bln smart city project
Hanoi authorities have asked Japan’s Sumitomo and local conglomerate BRG Group to quicken the progress of the North Hanoi Smart City project as soon as legal procedures are finalized.
Real Estate - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 3:31 pm GMT+7
Moody's Ratings upgrades MBBank's deposit ratings to Ba2 from Ba3, outlook stable
Moody’s Ratings (Moody’s) has announced an upgrade of the local currency and foreign currency long-term deposit and issuer ratings for Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB, HoSE: MBB) from Ba3 to Ba2, aligning with Vietnam’s sovereign rating (Ba2 positive). The outlook remains "Stable."
Banking - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 3:00 pm GMT+7
Vietnam welcomes leading Indian groups to expand energy, infrastructure cooperation: top leader
Vietnam is ready to create favorable conditions for capable Indian corporations and businesses to expand investment and operations in the country in line with its laws, while ensuring transparency and balanced interests among stakeholders, said Vietnam’s Party chief and President To Lam.
Economy - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 1:59 pm GMT+7
Vietnam airport operator ACV records slows disbursement for Long Thanh mega-airport project
Airports Corporation of Vietnam's (ACV) slow disbursement for the Long Thanh International Airport project, located in the southern province of Dong Nai, highlights implementation bottlenecks despite the company's strong profitability in Q1/2026 and substantial cash reserves for the country's largest aviation infrastructure project.
Companies - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 1:41 pm GMT+7
Vietnam property developers shift to asset-holding strategy for stable cash flow
Vietnamese property developers are increasingly shifting away from the traditional build-to-sell model and focusing instead on accumulating long-term assets capable of generating stable recurring income, as the industry adapts to lessons learned from the market downturn of 2022-2023.
Real Estate - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 12:07 pm GMT+7
Vietnamese, Indian firms exchange 27 agreements on aviation, tourism, logistics, technology
Vietnamese and Indian firms on Thursday exchanged 27 cooperation agreements aimed at boosting trade, investment, tourism and training between the two countries, thereby making bilateral partnership deeper, more practical and effective.
Economy - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 11:13 am GMT+7
MBBank ranks among Vietnam's leading lenders for SME working capital in key industries
Military Bank (MB) has emerged as one of Vietnam’s leading providers of working capital financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in key economic sectors, according to National Credit Information Center (CIC) data.
Banking - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 8:56 am GMT+7
Hanoi eyes massive replanning of Red River corridor, relocation of riverside communities
Hanoi plans to gradually relocate and reorganize all residential areas outside the Red River dike system as part of an ambitious urban redevelopment strategy aimed at transforming both banks of the river into a new economic and cultural corridor for the capital.
Economy - Thu, May 7, 2026 | 5:04 pm GMT+7
Thaco, VinFast, TC Group urge Vietnam gov't to keep auto sector under conditional business rules
Vietnam’s three major domestic automotive corporations - Thaco, VinFast and TC Group - have urged the government to maintain automobile manufacturing, assembly and import activities within the list of “conditional business sectors,” warning that deregulation could weaken the country’s long-term industrial strategy and expose local producers to unfair competition.
Economy - Thu, May 7, 2026 | 4:09 pm GMT+7
Prudential Vietnam remits $194 mln in retained earnings to parent company
Prudential Vietnam transferred over VND5.1 trillion ($194 million) in retained earnings to its parent company, Prudential Corporation Holdings, earlier this year, according to disclosures in its 2025 financial statements.
Finance - Thu, May 7, 2026 | 3:33 pm GMT+7
