Thai DPM visits Russia July 14-19

MOSCOW, July 16 (TNA) - Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn is paying an official visit to Russia, scheduled for July 14-19, aimed to strengthen bilateral relations between Moscow and Bangkok. General Tanasak met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Olegovich Rogozin in Moscow on Thursday (local time), during which he stressed on Thailand's determination to raise bilateral relations with Russia to become strategic partnership and to boost two-way trade value. The Thai side also asked Russia to import more Thai agricultural products, seafood and frozen meat, namely chicken and pork. General Tanasak later held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the two countries’ warm relations and a plan to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 2017. Both sides also discussed a wide range of bilateral cooperation between Moscow and Bangkok, including security, economic, research and culture, as well as international challenges, namely transnational crime, disaster and sustainable development. The Russian and visiting Thai foreign ministers also co-signed a three-year cooperation agreement between the two countries' foreign ministries, from 2016-2018. The Thai deputy prime minister and foreign minister’s current six-day official visit to Russia followed an official visit to Thailand by the Russian prime minister in April 2015. (TNA)