Thailand, New Zealand to boost mutual trade, cooperation in all areas

BANGKOK, March 23 (TNA) - Thailand and New Zealand have agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in all areas, covering a target to increase the value of mutual trade to some 2.5 billion US dollars over the next five years. Suranand Vejjajiva, Secretary-General of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, told journalists that the agreement was reached during bilateral talks between the Thai Prime Minister and her New Zealand Prime Minister John Key in Auckland, New Zealand's capital, on Friday afternoon (local time), after the Thai Premier, who is visiting New Zealand from March 21-24, was officially received at the New Zealand Government House, including a Maori nose-to-nose greeting and an inspection of guards of honor. Suranand said that Premier Yingluck also presented Thailand's political and economic stability, as well as national development strategies, including new mega-infrastructure and water management projects in which New Zealand's investors are welcome to join, and that both national leaders also agreed to promote bilateral cooperation on defence and security through the mechanisms of the Thailand-New Zealand Bilateral Defence Talks. Suranand revealed that New Zealand also promised to continue supporting Thailand under the Mutual Assistance Programme, which started in 1978, and to expand bilateral cooperation on transnational crime suppression, police collaboration, human resource development and the improvement of forensic science, which New Zealand is outstanding. According to the secretary-general the Thai and New Zealand leaders expressed their confidence that their countries could increase the value of mutual trade to the targeted 2.5 billion US dollars within five years and agreed to reciprocally open their countries for more exports of the other side, review agricultural trade barriers, relax hygienic measures to expand the access of each other’s farm products and boost mutual trade and investment opportunities. Besides, New Zealand has offered scholarships and English-language training courses to Thai teachers, including those at vocational schools. Regarding cooperation on sciences, technologies and innovations, both countries, as major food exporters, have agreed to focus on food security, food safety and agriculture. On the same occasion, the Thai Prime Minister invited her New Zealand counterpart to attend the 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Chiang Mai Province in the Thai North from May 19-20, 2013. After the talks, the Thai and New Zealand leaders witnessed the signing of Thai-New Zealand agreements on cooperation on sciences, technologies and innovations and on educational partnership, covering exchange programs for educational personnel and students, cooperation among educational institutes and relevant training courses. (TNA)