Thailand teams up with Japan to develop neighboring countries

BANGKOK, Sept 12 (TNA) – Thailand together with Japan are developing neighboring countries as Thailand being responsible for the development of their personnel and money and capital markets. After his meeting with Hiroshige Seko, the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said he asked METI to meet Thailand’s ministries of commerce and industry to develop an investment plan in the region including the Greater Mekong Subregion. He said Thailand wanted to be a coordinator for the development of neighboring countries and the region and he thought that Thailand and Japan could jointly support the development of human resources as well as money and capital markets in the region. Thailand was ready to support Japan’s roles in promoting regional economic partnerships through the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which covered ten ASEAN countries and six other nations. Mr Somkid said that Thailand needed to develop its transport networks, especially railways, in east-west and north-south directions to connect to nearby countries. He also said that METI agreed to help develop small and medium-sized enterprises in Thailand. Meanwhile, Thailand asked Japan External Trade Organization to help develop Thai operators’ automation systems and the service sector, especially that concerning community-based tour services and businesses, as the service sector contributed to 60% of the gross domestic product in the country, Mr Somkid said. (TNA)