Thai PM attends ASEAN-India Summit

NEW DELHI, December 21 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra attended the Plenary Session:ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit here on Thursday evening, marking the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN-Indian relationship, during which she pointed out that ASEAN-India economic partnership will become a powerful force driving forward the global economy. At the summit, themed "ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace and Shared Prosperity", Yingluck also proposed that India and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) further develop bilateral relations by enhancing both sides' strategic partnership through land, air and sea transport connectivity projects and other strategic and technical cooperation in order to have the two sides' trade and investment expanded on a sustainable basis for mutual benefits and for the interest of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) as well. Yingluck suggested that ASEAN and India speed up upgrading road infrastructure of Thailand-Myanmar-India section, noting that India’s comprehensive integrated master plan for Chennai- Bangalore Industrial Corridor and its maritime mission plan for 2010-2020 will help achieve this inspiration. Yingluck acknowledged that Thailand is also interested in developing economic corridor between the GMS and India through Chennai-Dawai-Lamchabang sea connectivity, which will help facilitate shipments of auto parts, computers, electronic components, rubber and other raw materials between India and ASEAN. According to the Thai premier, the conclusion of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on services and investment should also help boost trade between ASEAN and India to 100 billion US dollars by 2015. (TNA)