Myanmar and Vietnam issued the following Joint Statement on the occasion of the State Visit of Senior General Than Shwe to Vietnam in Hanoi on 17 March 2003.
1. At the invitation of His Excellency Mr. Tran Duc Luong, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, His Excellency Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar paid a State visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from 15 to 17 March 2003.

2. His Excellency Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar, and wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing were accompanied by His Excellency Secretary-2 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Soe Win and wife; His Excellency Maj-Gen Ye Myint, Chairman of the Mandalay Division Peace and Development Council; His Excellency Maj-Gen Soe Naing, Chairman of the Sagaing Division Peace and Development Council; His Excellency Maj-Gen Nyunt Tin, Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation; His Excellency U Aung Thaung, Minister for Industry (1); His Excellency Brig-Gen Pyi Sone, Minister for Commerce; His Excellency Minister for Foreign Affairs U Win Aung and wife; His Excellency Brig-Gen Maung Maung Thein, Minister for Livestock and Fisheries; His Excellency Brig-Gen Lun Thi, Minister for Energy; His Excellency Professor Dr Kyaw Myint, Minister for Health; His Excellency Maj-Gen Nay Win, Military Assistant to the Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council; His Excellency U Khin Maung Win, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs; His Excellency U Khin Aung, Ambassador of the Union of Myanmar to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and high ranking officials of the Government of the Union of Myanmar.

3. His Excellency Chairman Senior General Than Shwe and wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing and his entourage were accorded a warm welcome and a cordial reception by the leaders and people of Vietnam reflecting the significance of the visit in further promoting the close bonds of friendship and cooperation that exist between the two countries. The leaders of Vietnam extended to the Chairman and through him to the people of Myanmar the best wishes of the Government and people of Vietnam. His Excellency Chairman Senior General Than Shwe expressed great pleasure in having the opportunity to visit the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for the third time in eight years and conveyed to the leaders of Vietnam the cordial greetings and best wishes of the Government and the people of Myanmar.

4. During the visit, His Excellency Chairman Senior General Than Shwe held bilateral talks with His Excellency President Tran Duc Luong, called on His Excellency Nong Duc Manh, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, His Excellency Phan Van Khai, Prime Minister and His Excellency Nguyen Van An, Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam. Chairman Senior General Than Shwe also laid wreath in Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and visited a number of economic and cultural sites in Hanoi.

5. The bilateral talks between President Tran Duc Luong and Chairman Senior General Than Shwe were held in an atmosphere of friendship, mutual understanding and trust. On the Myanmar side, attending the talks were all the official members of the Delegation. On the Vietnamese side, attending the talks were Deputy Prime Minister HE Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung, Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Mr. Nguyen Dy Nien, Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Office HE Mr. Nguyen Van Chien, Minister of Trade HE Mr. Tuong Dinh Tuyen, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development HE Mr. Le Huy Ngo, Minister of Industry HE Mr. Hoang Trung Hai, Minister of Public Health HE Madame Tran Thi Trung Chien, Vice Minister of Public Security HE Mr. Nguyen Khanh Toan, Vice Minister of Defence HE Mr. Nguyen Van Rinh, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Mr. Le Cong Phung, Ambassador of Vietnam to Myanmar HE Mr. Pham Quang Khon, Assistant to the President HE Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Vice Minister of Fisheries HE Mr. Nguyen Viet Thang.

6. The two Heads of State informed each other of recent developments in their respective countries and exchanged views on ways and means to further enhance traditional friendship, and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, as well as on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

7. Senior General Than Shwe informed the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam of the political, economic and social advancements taking place in the country, particularly achievements attained in establishing peace and stability as well as in economic progress. He also reaffirmed Myanmar's independent and active foreign policy. He stressed the importance Myanmar places on maintaining friendship with all countries in the world, particularly with neighbouring countries in the spirit of goodwill, friendship and mutual understanding guided by the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, particularly the principles of mutual trust and respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other's internal affairs and the settlement of disputes by peaceful means.

8. President Tran Duc Luong congratulated Chairman Senior General Than Shwe on the socio-economic achievements recorded by the people of Myanmar under his leadership in the past years. President Tran Duc Luong reaffirmed Vietnam's support to the efforts made by the Government and the people of Myanmar with a view to preserving territorial integrity and national unification, national unity and reconciliation and political stability and sustaining the national development, thus making contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and development in South East Asia and the world at large.

9. Chairman Senior General Than Shwe expressed his happiness to see the important achievements made by the Vietnamese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Chairman Senior General Than Shwe expressed his conviction that Vietnam would record greater accomplishments in materializing socio-economic targets in the years to come, which help enhance the country's position and role in the region and the world.

10. Chairman Senior General Than Shwe also expressed his high regard for Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, openness, multilateralization and diversification of external relations and positively international integration. The Chairman maintained that this open foreign policy had been making positive contribution to peace and stability in the region and the world as well.

11. The two leaders expressed satisfaction that, since the visit to Myanmar by President Tran Duc Luong in May 2002, the economic and trade relations between the two countries had seen remarkable developments. The commitments made during President Tran Duc Luong's visit had been successfully implemented step by step. The two leaders welcomed the developments and stressed that the two sides need to further enhance economic, investment and trade relations in commensurate with the sound political relationship and vast potential of the two countries.

12. The two sides reaffirmed the importance of bilateral economic relations, in particular, the promotion of investment and trade between the two countries. To that end, they agreed to fully utilize existing mechanisms for bilateral cooperation, particular the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation, and the Joint Trade Committee. They agreed further to strengthen cooperation in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fishery, and fishery-related industries and energy.

13. The two sides agreed to promote their cooperation in the field of security through information exchanges and join efforts to fight and prevent terrorist activities against their respective Governments and countries. In this spirit, the two leaders welcomed the need of considering signing at an early date by the two countries the Agreement on the Prevention and Fight Against Criminal Activities.

14. The two sides agreed upon the need to strengthen cooperation on bilateral basis as well as in the ASEAN framework with a view to consolidating unity and cooperation to cope with current challenges and enhancing the role and position of ASEAN in the region and the world. The two sides also agreed to further their cooperation at regional and international political and economic fora.

15. The two sides noted that with the accession to WTO and its increasing integration into the world economy, Vietnam would play an important role to the sustained development and prosperity of Vietnam and the region. In that spirit, Myanmar supported Vietnam to join WTO.

16. The two sides shared the view that together with the State visit to Myanmar by President Tran Duc Luong in May 2002, the State visit to Vietnam of the Chairman Senior General Than Shwe would contribute strengthening the traditional friendship relations and multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and Myanmar in the interest of the peoples of the two countries and for peace, cooperation and development of the region and the world over.

17. Chairman Senior General Than Shwe expressed his sincere thanks to President Tran Duc Luong, the Government and people of Vietnam for the warm and friendly reception accorded to him and the members of his delegation which reflects the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Myanmar.

18. Chairman Senior General Than Shwe invited President Tran Duc Luong and Madame to pay a State Visit to the Union of Myanmar at a convenient time. President Tran Duc Luong accepted the invitation with pleasure.