Belgium's Crown Prince to lead business operators to Thailand

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, September 25 (TNA) - His Royal Highness Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium will lead a group of Belgian business operators to study investment opportunities in Thailand in the near future. Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, who is accompanying Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to visit the United States to attend the 67th United Nations General Assembly in New York from September 23-27, told journalists that he met Didier Reynders, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs on Monday, during which both sides expressed satisfaction with close bilateral relations at all levels between Brussels and Bangkok and discussed the planned visit to Thailand by the Belgian Crown Prince, who will also bring Belgian business operators to study investment and trade opportunities in the Thai economy, and also a possible visit to Belgium by the Thai prime minister next year. As Belgium is interested in Myanmar, Surapong acknowledged that Thailand is persuading Brussels to jointly develop the Dawei deep seaport, and that the Thai prime minister plans to discuss the Dawei deep seaport project with Myanmar President Thein Sein in New York this week and will lead a group of Thai business operators to later visit neighbouring Myanmar. According to the foreign minister, Thailand also plans to invite Belgium to take part in more joint ventures in the future. The Thai foreign minister said that he also had bilateral talks with his Panamanian counterpart Romulo Roux, during which both sides expressed appreciation to the 30th anniversary of the Thai-Panamanian diplomatic relations this year. Thailand considers Panama as an important gateway to America and would like to be Panama’s gateway to Southeast Asia; so, both sides have agreed on exchanged visits of their business operators in the future. (TNA)