Thailand, Bahrain to hold food security talks

BANGKOK, November 30 (TNA) - Thailand and Bahrain have agreed on holding bilateral talks on food security, as a follow-up of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's official visit to the Gulf state in May 2012, during which three bilateral cooperation agreements were inked on food security, cultural exchanges and mutual tourism promotion. Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul told reporters of the agreement, after his meeting with visiting Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed Al Khalifa at Bangkok's Government House on Friday. Surapong said that Thailand has also proposed that food silos and distribution centres be built in Bahrain to boost sales of Thai food products in the Gulf state, and that Bahrain import more Thai consumer products, namely jasmine rice, sugar, chicken eggs and canned food. According to the deputy premier, Thailand has informed Bahrain of a plan to organize training programmes on the Bank of Islam, as Bahrain will send investors to Thailand to explore more opportunities on expanded investment cooperation, including on the Islamic banking sector. The deputy premier acknowledged that Bahrain is also interested in learning more about Thailand's agriculture and vocational training system and proposed more concrete cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Thailand then expressed enthusiasm to attend the 3rd Thailand-Bahrain Joint Committee Meeting, scheduled to be in held in Bahrain next year. (TNA)