Thai PM asks US to support SMEs in AC

BANGKOK, February 16 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has asked the United States to help provide technologies and innovations to further develop small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the ASEAN Community (AC). Deputy Government Spokesman Major General Werachon Sukondhapatipak told TNA that the Thai premier's request was part of his speech delivered in California on February 15 (local time) at the ASEAN-US Leaders Summit, held in Sunnylands, Rancho Mirage City. The deputy spokesman quoted the Thai prime minister as saying that the United States is considered a key partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as Washington has supported and strengthened AC. The deputy spokesman stated the prime minister also said Thailand is ready to cooperate with other ASEAN fellow member countries to become a collective strategic partner with the United States through people-oriented sustainable development plans. According to the deputy spokesman, the Thai prime minister also raised proposals, including a necessity for the United States and ASEAN to urgently hold talks to deal with the persisting global economic volatility and a full US support for the establishment of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) so that the Free Trade Area of Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) could be achieved. The deputy spokesman noted that the Thai prime minister showed Bangkok's full support for a plan to establish RCEP within this year and acknowledged that Thailand has closely monitored the development of TPP by setting up a sub-committee to study whether the Thai economy is ready to join TPP, the outcome of which is expected within this month. "Integrated economic cooperation at the regional level should be accelerated, in which trade barriers must be eliminated to build trade regulations and high standard of investment", the Thai prime minister was quoted as saying. Besides, the Thai prime minister calls for enlarging cooperation between the United States and AC to achieve sustainable development in the region, eradicate poverty and narrow economic and social disparity in the region, asking Washington to particularly play a larger role for being an AC partner in sustainable development. "California is considered one of major innovative and technological centres in the United States and even in the world; so, I propose for the US government's assistance to further develop SMEs and digital economy in AC through a transfer of high technologies for production in the regional grouping, especially in the industrial sector. The Thai prime minister is scheduled to leave for Los Angeles to fly home on February 16 (local time) and he is due to arrive in Thailand on February 18 (Bangkok's time). (TNA)