Thailand, Philippines to join forces for stable AC

BEIJING, CHINA, November 10 (TNA) - Thailand and the Philippines have agreed to closely cooperate to help stabilise the ASEAN Community (AC), set to be formed by the end of 2015. Thai Government Spokesman Dr. Yongyuth Maiyalarp told journalists on Monday that the agreement was reached during bilateral talks between Philippine President Benigno Aquio III and Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha in Beijing earlier in the day (local time), on the sidelines of the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. Dr. Yongyuth said the Thai and the Philippine leaders also agreed to promote sound relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in which both Thailand and the Philippines are members. Besides, the Thai prime minister expressed his hope to have a good opportunity to pay an official visit to the Philippines to introduce himself at a suitable time, after he took office in August 2014. According to the spokesman, the Thai prime minister also praised the Philippine president's success in playing an important role for the continual development of the Philippine economy, at 7 per cent annually on average. In response, the Philippine president praised the Thai premier for his role in promoting innovations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and developing the agricultural sector, which are models for the Philippines' national development plans. The Philippine president expressed his appreciation as well to Thailand's leading businesses, namely the Charoen Pokaphan Group (CP), for expanding their investment into the Philippines, which helps boost the Philippine economy and transfer their knowhow and technologies to the Philippines. This year's APEC forums, also dubbed the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Week, include the Concluding Senior Officials' Meeting from November 5-6, the APEC Ministerial Meeting from November 7-8 and the APEC Summit, the 22nd of its kind, from November 10-11. (TNA)