Germany, Thailand conclude deals on int'l cooperation

BANGKOK, October 13 (TNA) - Germany, through Germany International Cooperation (GIZ), and Thailand have concluded three agreements on cooperation to support sustainable development in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The German Embassy in Bangkok told journalists of the concluded agreements between the German and the Thai governments on Monday. German Ambassador to Thailand Rolf Schulze said at his residence in Bangkok that the three agreements include the promotion of a low-carbon economy with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, targeted at a total amount of 7 million Euros since 2009, trilateral cooperation between Germany, Thailand and partner countries through shared relevant expertise and technologies between Germany and Thailand to help enhance the development in partner countries and bilateral cooperation between Germany and ASEAN, in which Thailand is a member state, to boost energy sufficiency in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the land transport sector. For the agreement on trilateral cooperation, GIZ Deputy Country Director Vorathep Songpanya stated that Germany and Thailand are running three projects in Vietnam and Lao PDR to support their national development, including those on strengthening the National Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and managing Nam Xong Sub-River Basin in Lao PDR, as well as on strengthening cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in central Vietnam. Vorathep stated that Germany will fund 70 per cent of the trilateral projects and Thailand will fund the remaining 30 per cent, while Germany and Thailand share the number of experts tasked with providing know-how to partner countries Accordng to the GIZ deputy country director, four more projects are being discussed for Cambodia, Lao PDR and Timor-Leste. GIZ is a federally owned German enterprise that supports the German government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation services for sustainable development in more than 130 countries worldwide. Through the GIZ's operations, Germany is considered a top donor country from the European Union (EU) to Thailand and ASEAN. (TNA)