Thai PM arrives in Belgium, meets Belgian counterpart

BRUSSELS, March 6 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is visiting Europe from March 4-7, arrived in Belgium on Tuesday (local time) after ending her two-day official visit to Sweden, and then met her Belgian counterpart Elio Di Rupo at the Belgian Parliament. During the talks, Yingluck told her Belgian counterpart that Thailand now has political and economic stability, strong democracy and geographical advantage to be a gateway between the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and invited Belgian business operators to invest in transport, telecommunications and energy projects in Thailand. Both leaders agreed that Thailand and Belgium should maintain their partnerships at bilateral and multilateral levels, and that the upcoming visit to Thailand by Belgian Crown Prince Philippe and Belgian business operators from March 17-22 should underline bilateral relations and mutual confidence. The Thai Premier promised to organize a majestic reception for the Belgian Crown Prince, whose forthcoming visit to the Thai Kingdom is expected to lead to the signing of a joint action plan between Bangkok and Brussels to become a framework for bilateral cooperation in various areas. Regarding tourism, the visiting Thai Prime Minister also requested a visa waiver program for Thai travelers entering the Schengen Area, as Thai Airways International (THAI) has increased its Bangkok-Brussels direct flight frequency from three to four flights a week, showing that more Belgians are visiting Thailand. Both Thai and Belgian Prime Ministers also agreed to promote the exchange of knowledge about medicine, food safety, nanotechnology, advanced research and development and logistics to enhance Thailand's competitiveness. (TNA)