Thai PM leaves for APEC Summit in Bali

BANGKOK, Oct 6 (TNA) – Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra left Bangkok early Sunday to attend a three-day 21st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in the Indonesian resort of Bali. Miss Yingluck told journalists before her departure to participate in the annual APEC summit, starting Sunday, that she would raise three major issues for discussions at the meeting. The issues include Thailand’s determination to open free trade area agreements within 2020 with other countries under the Bogor Declaration of Common Resolve after developed countries have already opened their doors in 2010. The second issue centres on how APEC members could cooperate in developing economy on a sustainable basis as Thailand is willing to offer academic assistance, she said. According to the prime minister, the third issue is on how each country could help in building connectivity to facilitate and standardise rules. “Thailand will use the planned government-sponsored 2.2 trillion baht investment on mega projects, mostly on transportation, due to complete between five to seven years, to help speed on communicating with other countries”, said Miss Yingluck. The premier noted that she would also take an opportunity to talk with leading foreign businessmen on the sidelines of the meeting and would invite them to invest in the kingdom. After the end of the APEC meeting, Miss Yingluck is scheduled to travel to Brunei Darussalam to attend the ASEAN Summit which will be held between October 9 -10. (TNA)