INDIA-ASEAN 2 LAST

Seeking greater trade ties with India, Kraichitti said
the Indo-ASEAN FTA, to come into operation from January 1 next
year, would not only enhance the regional trade but also
bilateral trade between India and Thailand.

He hoped that India's 'Look East Policy' combined with
Thailand's 'Look West Policy' would give a quantum jump to
annual bilateral trade which now stands at around USD 6
billion.

India last month signed an agreement with the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for duty-free import and
export of 4,000 products, ranging from steel to apparel to
sugar and tobacco, over a period of eight years.

The pact on trade in goods under the Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation Agreement was signed after six years of
negotiations.

While the agreement opens the 1.7-billion consumer market
to each other, it also eliminates duties on 80 per cent of
goods traded between the two regions by 2016.

Pushing for open sky policy between the two countries,
Kraichitti strongly favoured increasing the number of flights
from India to various destinations in Thailand "as it will
help both the economies".

The bilateral traffic rights agreement between the two
countries allowed a total of 18,671 aircraft seats per week
from Thailand to India and vice versa.

Kraichitti said cooperation in tourism sector should be
strengthened as the two countries had strong cultural ties.
PTI