Yingluck inviting Polish PM to visit Thailand

BANGKOK, July 6 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has invited her Polish counterpart Donald Tusk to visit Thailand, aimed at exploring ways to increase trade and investment between the two countries. Yingluck said Saturday in her recorded weekly TV and radio programme that during their meeting on Thursday, she also invited the Polish prime minister to show his visions, while in Thailand, on democracy, the system which the Polish people show enthusiastic support for. Yingluck, also defence minister, said Poland and Thailand have agreed to increase trade value to one billion U.S. dollars in the next five years. Poland has a high economic potential and borders with seven European countries, she said. The country could, thus, become a gateway to Europe and also a financial hub for Central and Eastern Europe and this should give a great opportunity for Thai investors to use Poland as a springboard for their goods to enter the European Union. Yingluck said the Polish government is now focusing its interests to Asia and her visit to Poland could benefit Thailand on agriculture, alternative energy and tourism. Meanwhile, Chartsiri Sophonpanich, chairman of Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking, also said Poland has a high economic potential and Thai exporters could export their goods to several European countries on duty exemption. Yingluck is due to return home later Saturday after paying four-day official visits to Poland and Turkey from July 3-6. (End)