Thai PM says Asia-Europe trade, investment ties could strengthen

BANGKOK, November 4 (TNA) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has made fresh calls for cooperation between Asia and Europe before she attends the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), which starts Monday in Vientiane, Lao PDR. Miss Yingluck says deeper cooperation between Asia and Europe will help broaden trade and investment, especially with the ASEAN Economic Community inception in 2015. She says the summit will also offer her an opportunity to reaffirm strong growth in the Thai economy. During the summit, she will also discuss with Lao officials about the fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, which is scheduled to open next month. The bridge links Thailand’s northernmost province of Chiang Rai and Ban Houayxay of Laos at a cost of 1.9 billion baht. Construction has already taken three years. The Thai Prime Minister says Thailand intends to revive a joint ministerial meeting with the Lao government, similarly to the Thai-Vietnamese joint Cabinet meeting, to improve bilateral ties. (TNA)