Thai PM meets Japanese Crown Prince

TOKYO, March 8 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was granted an audience with Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito at the Imperial Palace here Thursday morning, during which she inquired about the health of the Japanese Emperor, who underwent a cardiovascular surgery on February 15, and informed the Japanese Crown Prince of the health of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and the beloved Thai monarch’s work. Yingluck, who is paying a four-day official visit to Japan from March 6-10, also expressed gratitude toward Japan’s assistance in flood relief in Thailand late last year and assured that Thailand is now well-prepared to cope with future floods. The Thai prime minister reported close bilateral relations between Tokyo and Bangkok and promised to further boost the strong ties and cooperation, as both countries mark the 125th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. The Pheu Thai premier told the crown prince that she believes Japan and Thailand can jointly promote economic growth, green industries, energy, logistics and tourism, and that the number of Japanese tourists in Thailand formed the third biggest group of foreign visitors in the country, after Malaysian and Chinese travelers. Earlier in the day, Premier Yingluck met representatives of the Thai-Japanese Parliamentarians Friendship Group at the Akasaka Palace, during which she acknowledged that close ties between Thai and Japanese politicians could boost bilateral relations of the two allied countries and support regional security and asked the group to help restore confidence in Thailand among Japanese investors and tourists. The Thai prime minister also met former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama and Yoshito Sengoku, acting chair of the policy research committee of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ and Japan's former cabinet secretary-general. (TNA)