Thailand, Bangladesh agree to expand cooperation in various areas

BANGLADESH, December 22 (TNA) - Thailand and Bangladesh have agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in various areas, marking the two countries' celebrations of their 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The agreements were reached in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, Saturday, during a four-eye bilateral meeting between Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina and during a later plenary discussion between the Thai and Bangladesh governments, represented by certain Thai and Bangladeshi Cabinet members including the female premiers of both countries. The agreements cover expanding bilateral cooperation on trade, investment, tourism, energy projects, national security, anti-transnational crime and regional issues under multilaterally-agreed frameworks, including those of the United Nations, the Bangladesh-India-Myanmar-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), the Asia Coopeation Dialogue (ACD), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the Asia-Europe Meetings (ASEM). For bilateral trade and investment, Bangladesh has agreed to extend its purchase of Thai rice, at the maximum of one million tons annually, under the existing 2011-2013 accord, for another three year thereafter and to double two-way trade by 2016; while welcoming more Thai investment projects, namely those on basic infrastructure development, food processing, power production and the development of industrial estates. Thailand and Bangladesh have also agreed to cooperate on medical tourism, as a number of Bangladeshi people visit Thailand annually for the purpose, as well as on cross-border transport connectivity and technical projects, covering human resource development, and on joint military missions. Premier Yingluck informed her Bangladeshi counterpart on Thailand's growing economy with now no serious political concerns. During the talks, the Thai and Bangladeshi governments also signed two memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on the establishment of mechanisms for bilateral talks and on agricultural cooperation covering fishery and livestock projects. Earlier in the day, the Thai premier visited Bangladesh's national monument officially named National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar and the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum, or the Father's Museum in Dhanmondi, where she laid her wreaths and signed in visitors' books. Premier Yingluck is scheduled to return to Thailand this evening, ending her current three-day trip to South Asia, beginning from December 20, which also took her to India for an official visit, from December 20-21, during which she also attended a special summit between India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, in which Thailand is a member country. (TNA)