MFA:Saudi Arabia, Thailand ties will be improving

BANGKOK, October 12 (TNA) - Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai has expressed his confidence that bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Thailand will be improving after both sides have agreed to let the past behind and move forward their bilateral ties toward the future together. While speaking to journalists in Bangkok on Wednesday, Don referred to a discussion between Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister H.E. Adel Al Jubeir in the capital on October 10 on the sidelines of the 2nd Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit, held in the city during October 8-10. Don said it was a historic event that the Saudi Arabian foreign minister represented the Saudi Arabian monarch to visit Thailand to restore bilateral relations that have been stalled for more than 20 years. Don assessed that the improving relations between Saudi Arabia and Thailand would be in several dimensions especially in economic issues which could be a springboard toward expanding ties in other areas in the future. The Thai minister reiterated that political authorities of both countries had agreed on a need to boost bilateral cooperation between Riyadh and Bangkok and to overlook the past, while setting up a joint panel to work out approaches and mechanisms to drive forward bilateral relations, including exchanged visits of high-level representatives of both sides and the elevated diplomatic representation of Saudi Arabia in Thailand to the ambassadorship. (TNA)