Myanmar, Thailand to strengthen security cooperation

BANGKOK, June 30 (TNA) - Myanmar and Thailand have agreed to strengthen security cooperation to deal with all forms of cross-border crime, namely drug trafficking and, probably, terrorism. Thai Defence Ministry Spokesman Colonel Kongcheep Tantravanich told journalists on Thursday that the agreement was reached at a meeting between Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan and Mynamar authorities during General Prawit's two-day official visit to Myanmar, scheduled for June 29-30. The spokesman elaborated that during General Prawit's discussion with Myanmar’s Supreme Commander Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, both sides agreed to cooperate more on cross-border problems, including those relating to Myanmar people's fleeing fighting in their home country, illegal entry, transnational crime, terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal smuggling of goods. The spokesman said that a joint committee will, thus, be set up to speed up the security cooperation through existing mechanisms. The spokesman stated that Myanmar authorities also informed the Thai deputy premier and defence minister of a plan to conduct peace negotiations with Myanmar ethnic opponents through diplomatic means, aimed at creating peace before receiving back Myanmar displaced persons from Thailand. According to the spokesman, the Thai deputy prime minister and defence minister also conferred with Myanmar State Councillor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi and discussed issues on border demarcation, Myanmar people's taking refuge in Thailand now and bilateral cooperation between the two neighbours on the Dawei Special Economic Zone in Myanmar. Besides, the Thai deputy premier and defence minister met with Myanmar President Htin Kyaw, during which he briefed the Myanmar president of the development of cooperation between the two countries, while the new Myanmar president expressed his view that the construction of a new Thai-Myanmar Myawaddy bridge, connecting the two neighbouring countries through the Asian Highway from Thailand’s border district of Mae Sai in Chiang Rai Province in the Thai North, should help boost trade and investment and further improve the livelihood of people of the two neighbouring countries in the future. (TNA)