India, Thailand to cooperate on regional connectivity

NAY PYI TAW, MYANMAR, November 13 (TNA) - India and Thailand have agreed to cooperate on regional connectivity projects, which, once completed, will link the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with South Asia in all dimensions. The agreement was reached during bilateral talks between Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar's capital, on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the 25th ASEAN Summit and related forums. During the talks, the Thai prime minister discussed land routes to connect Thailand with Myanmar and India, as well as new deep-sea port and industrial estate projects in Dawei of Myanmar, which will link ASEAN with South Asia in the future. The Indian prime minister expressed his interest in the regional plans and promised to help speed up the projects. The Thai premier also praised his Indian counterpart's economic development policies, including the “Smart City” and the “Made in India” policies to attract international investment. Besides, both Indian and Thai leaders agreed to end double taxation, based on the Thai-Indian Free Trade Agreement (FTA), to support trade and investment in the public and private sectors. The Indian and Thai leaders also acknowledged long-time bilateral security cooperation between New Delhi and Bangkok, referring to cooperation on intelligence and joint marine patrols. The Indian and Thai premiers expressed their hope that the Indian and Thai armed forces would have a joint military exercise, under the "Maitree" code name, in the near future. (TNA)