Trade and investment high on agenda for Indian PM’s Thailand visit
On 30-31 May 2013, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, will make his first official trip at bilateral level to Thailand since assuming the post in 2004, highlighting the strong and long standing ties between the two friendly nations.
Prime Minister Singh is scheduled to meet his counterpart, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whom he invited to Delhi as Chief Guest of Republic Day Celebrations in 2012, to review existing cooperation in various fields and explore new opportunities to work together ever more closely.
Among the issues expected to headline the meeting, promotion of more trade and investment is likely to be the focus of this high-level talk. The two Governments are said to have been mulling over an idea of establishing a Thai-Indo Business Forum, which brings together leading business CEOs of both countries to foster closer business relations, and are likely to make formal announcement on it.
The Thai side will likely use this opportunity to present to India investment opportunities in Thailand, particularly, on the recently announced Government's plan to invest $70 billion on infrastructure megaprojects as well as the Dawei Project on which Thailand is working closely with the Government of Myanmar to seek investors. The Delhi-Mumbai Economic Corridors (DMEC) is expected to be the main focus of Indian investment attractions.
This time around, the two sides are also mobilizing efforts to create more friendly business environment for each other. Talks on social security agreement and facilitation of business and employment visas are high on the agenda and stake holders may expect some good news.
Following the meeting, the Thai Premier will host an official dinner in honour of the Indian PM before he and his team leaves to return to Indian the following morning.
Prime Minister Singh visited Thailand twice before in 2004 and 2011, but both were for multilateral meetings, namely the BIMSTEC Summit and ASEAN Summit, respectively. PM Singh's first bilateral visit is expected to further consolidate the already strong ties between the two countries.
Praphan Samphaiworakit
Reports from New Delhi
28 May 2013
