Bahrain, Thailand to expand cooperation

BANGKOK, October 7 (TNA) - Thailand welcomes more trade, investment and tourists from Bahrain. Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha announced the policy while holding talks with his visiting Bahraini counterpart HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa at Bangkok's Government House on Friday. Welcoming his Bahraini counterpart, who is visiting Thailand to attend the 2nd Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit, scheduled for October 8-10, the Thai prime minister also expressed his pleasure that both countries will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2017, acknowledging that Bahrain is one of Thailand's most significant allies in the Middle East. The Thai leader pointed out that Manama and Bangkok have had extensive cooperation, saying that he hopes for more discussions on further expanding bilateral economic cooperation between the two allied nations. Prime Minister General Prayut stressed that Thailand welcomes Bahraini investors and promotes enhanced connectivity between the Bahraini and the Thai private sectors under the ASEAN frameworks. Besides, both sides agreed to discuss on food security, as Thailand can immediately ship agricultural produce to Bahrain once demanded. Both leaders also agreed on further discussions on expanding bilateral cooperation between Manama and Bangkok on anti-human trafficking. Thailand also welcomes a number of Bahrain tourists annually who choose the Thai Kingdom as their destination for holidays and healthcare services. (TNA)