Thai PM to visit India Jan 25-26

BANGKOK, January 24 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha is scheduled to visit New Delhi during January 25-26 to attend the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit, which also marks the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN-India relations. Thai Ambassador to India H.E. Chutintorn Gongsakdi told TNA of the schedule, from New Delhi, on Wednesday, noting that during the upcoming two-day visit to the Indian capital, the Thai prime minister will also attend activities marking the 69th anniversary of India’s Republic Day. The top Thai envoy foresaw that the prime minister's visit to India this week should result in more concrete cooperation on marine security between New Delhi and Bangkok, as well as trade, investment and tourism through the Indo-Pacific agenda proposed by the Indian government. The top Thai envoy acknowledged that the Indo-Pacific agenda, if realized, should benefit Thailand by doubling the country's two-way trade with the immense Indian market, as the Thai Kingdom is India's fourth largest trading partner and a major connectivity economy with other member countries of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Besides, Thailand will learn from India's expertise in the development of geographical indication (GI) products, which will particularly benefit Thai startups, as there are now over 200 GI items of products developed in the Indian economy, also recognized as a world largest modern technological market. According to the Thai ambassador, the Thai prime minister is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit 2018 with the two leaders' discussions expected to include developments of the planned establishment of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), comprising of 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the 10-member bloc's six dialogue partners namely China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, and progress of the India-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), concerning farm products in particular, as well as expanding cooperation in tourism, covering an increase in Thai flights to India later this year. (TNA)