Thai PM proclaims successful trip to UK, France

BANGKOK, June 27 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has expressed his satisfaction with his recent trip to the United Kingdom and France, saying that it was, among others, the restart of high level-meetings between Thai and European leaders. The prime minister made the remarks after returning to Bangkok on June 26 (local time), following his three-day trip to London and Paris, which, as he acknowledged, will pave the way for exchange visits at other levels between Thailand and the two European nations. Apart from earlier reports, the Thai prime minister himself told journalists that he had a friendly and warm discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron, before flying back home, during which he and the French president witnessed the signing of an agreement on investment cooperation between France-based Airbus Aeronautics Company and Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI), the national flag carrier, and another contract for the purchase of a satellite between Thailand-based Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Public Organization) and Airbus Defence & Space SAS. The Thai prime minister praised the French president as a leader of new generations, who pays attention to national reforms and who is a leading role model on promoting cooperation within regional frameworks, as well as regional trade and investment based on agreed legal frameworks and regulations. The Thai premier expressed his appreciation to French private investors' interest in expanding their investment projects in the Thai economy, especially in the government-supported Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), which can be connected with other projects in the ASEAN Community (AC) and in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). The Thai premier also thanked the French president for his support for a revocation of a resolution of the European Union (EU), setting a restart of high-level political contacts between Thailand and the EU, and expressed his hope for the French leader's further move on reviving talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) between France and Thailand and another FTA between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). According to the Thai prime minister, he took the occasion on briefing the French president on the progressive political development in Thailand and national reforms in all areas towards the democratic rule and invited the French president to visit Thailand next year when the Thai Kingdom will be the ASEAN chiar, while the president invited him to revisit France to attend official events in remembrance of the WWI, with both accepting the invitation reciprocally. (TNA)