PM:Thailand eyes expanding ties with Bangladesh at all levels

BANGLADESH, December 22 (TNA) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has expressed her hope that Thailand and Bangladesh expand bilateral ties and cooperation at all levels, covering bilateral and regional plans. Yingluck made the remarks during her meeting with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, on Friday evening, after her arrival in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, for a two-day official visit to the South Asian nation at the invitation of her Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, who earlier welcomed the Thai leader upon her arrival at the Dhaka International Airport. During the talks, Yingluck said she was pleased that her current official trip to Bangladesh marks the auspicious 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Bangladesh and the first Thai leader's visit to the South Asian country in eight years. Yingluck noted that Bangladesh is one of Thailand's important allies in South Asia, proposing that Bangkok and Dhaka particularly expand bilateral cooperation on trade, investment, tourism and other cross-border connectivity projects. Yingluck also expressed Thailand's readiness to work together with Dhaka on regional issues under multilaterally-agreed frameworks, including those of the United Nations, the Bangladesh-India-Myanmar-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), the Asia Coopeation Dialogue (ACD) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). The Bangladeshi foreign minister, who has been active in supporting women's roles and political movements in Bangladesh, congratulated Yingluck, meanwhile, for having taking office as the first Thai female prime minister and shared the discussions with the Thai leader. (TNA)